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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. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  2. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. How do you ________________ your surname?
  5. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  6. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  9. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  10. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  11. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  12. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  15. There's no middle ________________.
  16. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  17. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  20. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  21. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  22. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  23. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  24. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.

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

Answer key

  1. current — happening now
  2. tube — a container
  3. current — electric
  4. spell — letters
  5. field — a subject
  6. cue — a hint
  7. current — of water
  8. spell — magic
  9. ground — crushed
  10. pass — to succeed
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. cue — for pool
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. ground — a position
  16. field — farmland
  17. pass — a permit
  18. tube — the underground
  19. cue — a signal
  20. pass — to spend time
  21. field — for sport
  22. spell — a short time
  23. ruler — a monarch
  24. ground — the earth

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