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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 120 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. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  5. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  6. When are we going to ________________?
  7. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  8. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  9. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  10. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  11. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  12. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  13. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  14. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  17. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  18. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  19. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  20. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  21. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  22. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  23. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  24. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. bark — a dog's sound
  3. current — of water
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. bark — to shout
  6. land — to come down
  7. bark — of a tree
  8. ruler — a monarch
  9. current — happening now
  10. capital — a big letter
  11. cue — a hint
  12. land — a country
  13. land — ground
  14. bore — to drill
  15. current — electric
  16. content — happy
  17. content — the amount
  18. cue — for pool
  19. capital — money
  20. bore — to tire
  21. capital — a city
  22. content — videos and posts
  23. bore — gave birth
  24. cue — a signal

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