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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 116 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  2. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  4. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  5. You don't need to ________________ round.
  6. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  7. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  10. We're almost out of ________________.
  11. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  12. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  13. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  14. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  15. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  16. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  17. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  18. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  19. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  20. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  21. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  22. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  24. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. mine — for digging
  2. current — electric
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. pitch — a sports field
  5. pop — to visit
  6. row — a quarrel
  7. row — a line
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. pop — soda
  11. pitch — completely
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. row — to paddle
  14. ruler — a monarch
  15. pound — for dogs
  16. pound — to hit hard
  17. pop — music
  18. pitch — a sales talk
  19. mine — an explosive
  20. current — of water
  21. mine — belonging to me
  22. pound — a weight
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. current — happening now

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com