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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. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  2. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  3. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  4. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  5. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  6. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  7. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  8. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  9. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  10. How do you ________________ your surname?
  11. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  12. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  15. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  16. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  17. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  18. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  19. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  20. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  21. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  22. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  23. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  24. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — to hit hard
  2. rest — what's left
  3. toast — bread
  4. rest — a break
  5. march — the month
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. pound — for dogs
  8. spell — magic
  9. march — the month
  10. spell — letters
  11. current — of water
  12. toast — the most admired
  13. current — happening now
  14. march — music
  15. ruler — a monarch
  16. mine — an explosive
  17. mine — for digging
  18. mine — belonging to me
  19. rest — what's left
  20. toast — a drink to someone
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. spell — a short time
  23. pound — a weight
  24. current — electric

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