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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. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  2. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  3. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  4. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  5. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  6. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  9. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  10. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  11. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  12. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  13. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  14. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. He is an ace ________________.
  17. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  18. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  19. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  20. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  21. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  24. When are we going to ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. track — to keep track
  3. fine — a penalty
  4. hand — help
  5. fine — high quality
  6. land — ground
  7. current — happening now
  8. hand — part of the body
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. fine — all right
  11. lean — to rest against
  12. lean — thin
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. hand — in cards
  15. current — of water
  16. pitcher — in baseball
  17. land — a country
  18. ruler — a monarch
  19. track — a path
  20. lean — to bend
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. current — electric
  23. track — a song
  24. land — to come down

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