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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. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  7. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  8. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  9. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  10. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  11. The King held a masked ________________.
  12. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  18. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  19. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  20. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  21. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  22. My mare is ________________ in color.
  23. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  24. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — to hit hard
  2. current — of water
  3. current — electric
  4. spring — of water
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. march — the month
  7. spring — a coil
  8. bay — a part of the sea
  9. bay — to keep at bay
  10. march — the month
  11. ball — a dance
  12. march — music
  13. current — happening now
  14. rush — hurry
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. rule — a law
  18. rule — to rule out
  19. spring — the season
  20. pound — a weight
  21. ball — a great time
  22. bay — a horse colour
  23. rule — government
  24. pound — for dogs

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