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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 124 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. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  2. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  3. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  4. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  5. The ________________ market has crashed.
  6. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  12. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  13. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  14. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  15. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  16. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  19. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  23. False peace will not ________________.
  24. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. current — happening now
  3. last — final
  4. last — finally
  5. stock — shares
  6. spring — the season
  7. track — a song
  8. bulb — for light
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. bound — obliged
  12. track — to keep track
  13. stock — a soup base
  14. spring — a coil
  15. track — a path
  16. spring — of water
  17. current — electric
  18. ruler — a monarch
  19. current — of water
  20. bound — certain
  21. bulb — for light
  22. bound — tied together
  23. last — to go on
  24. stock — goods

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