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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. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  2. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  3. She's very handy with a ________________.
  4. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  5. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  6. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  11. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  12. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  16. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  17. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  18. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  19. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  20. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  21. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  22. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  23. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  24. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.

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

Answer key

  1. current — electric
  2. bat — the animal
  3. saw — the tool
  4. racket — a loud noise
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. pass — to succeed
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. saw — the tool
  10. bat — for baseball
  11. bat — in an idiom
  12. ruler — a monarch
  13. current — happening now
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. cap — a hat
  16. pass — a permit
  17. cap — of ice
  18. cap — a lid
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. pass — to spend time
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. current — of water
  24. racket — for tennis

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