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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. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  2. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  5. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  6. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  7. We're almost out of ________________.
  8. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  9. You don't need to ________________ round.
  10. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  11. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  12. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  13. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  14. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  15. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  16. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  17. We're on a ________________ here.
  18. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  19. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  20. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  21. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  22. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  23. He was locked up in a ________________.
  24. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a cake
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. cell — a phone
  5. current — electric
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. pop — soda
  8. rule — government
  9. pop — to visit
  10. cell — in biology
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. current — of water
  14. rule — to rule out
  15. roll — a list
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. roll — on a roll
  18. ruler — a monarch
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. perch — the fish
  21. current — happening now
  22. rule — a law
  23. cell — in a prison
  24. pop — music

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