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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. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  3. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  4. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  5. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  6. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  9. My father caught me by the ________________.
  10. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  11. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  12. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  13. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  19. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  20. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  21. Where did you ________________ them?
  22. The King held a masked ________________.
  23. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  24. He was blown up by a land ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. current — happening now
  2. mine — for digging
  3. ball — a round shape
  4. mug — a face
  5. arm — a part of something
  6. mine — belonging to me
  7. current — of water
  8. ruler — a monarch
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. wound — an injury
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. wound — an injury
  13. current — electric
  14. ball — a great time
  15. rock — a stone
  16. rock — to move gently
  17. rock — music
  18. wound — past of 'wind'
  19. mug — a cup
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. mug — to rob
  22. ball — a dance
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. mine — an explosive

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