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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. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  2. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  3. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  4. That was ________________ to happen.
  5. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  6. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  7. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  8. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  9. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  10. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  11. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  12. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  13. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  14. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  15. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  16. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  17. When are we going to ________________?
  18. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  19. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  20. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  21. The ________________ market has crashed.
  22. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  23. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  24. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. current — electric
  2. band — a rubber band
  3. bound — obliged
  4. bound — certain
  5. bound — tied together
  6. ruler — a monarch
  7. land — ground
  8. band — a music group
  9. land — a country
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. band — a ring
  12. current — happening now
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. chair — a leader
  16. stock — goods
  17. land — to come down
  18. stock — a soup base
  19. chair — to sit on
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. stock — shares
  22. current — of water
  23. patient — calm and waiting
  24. chair — a professorship

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