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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. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  2. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  5. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  6. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  7. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  8. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  9. When are we going to ________________?
  10. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  11. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  12. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  13. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  14. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  15. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  19. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  20. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  21. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  22. We're on a ________________ here.
  23. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  24. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — a stone
  2. land — a country
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. current — electric
  6. capital — money
  7. capital — a big letter
  8. bat — the animal
  9. land — to come down
  10. bat — for baseball
  11. roll — a cake
  12. rock — music
  13. object — to protest
  14. capital — a city
  15. bat — in an idiom
  16. current — of water
  17. current — happening now
  18. ruler — a monarch
  19. roll — a list
  20. object — an aim
  21. object — a thing
  22. roll — on a roll
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. land — ground

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