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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. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  2. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  3. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  4. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  5. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  8. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  9. False peace will not ________________.
  10. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  11. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  12. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  13. You don't need to ________________ round.
  14. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  15. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  16. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  17. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  18. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  19. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  20. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  21. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  22. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  23. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  24. We're almost out of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. current — electric
  2. pop — music
  3. row — a quarrel
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. calf — of the leg
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. field — farmland
  8. bark — to shout
  9. last — to go on
  10. bark — of a tree
  11. row — a line
  12. current — happening now
  13. pop — to visit
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. row — to paddle
  16. field — a subject
  17. last — finally
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. last — final
  20. current — of water
  21. field — for sport
  22. ruler — a monarch
  23. bark — a dog's sound
  24. pop — soda

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