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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 120 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. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  2. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  3. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  9. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  10. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  11. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  12. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  13. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  16. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  19. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  22. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  23. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  24. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — a weight
  2. band — a ring
  3. band — a rubber band
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. current — happening now
  7. current — of water
  8. ruler — a monarch
  9. straw — to clutch at straws
  10. straw — a straw man
  11. band — a music group
  12. root — of a plant
  13. pound — to hit hard
  14. bulb — for light
  15. straw — dry grass
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. bulb — for light
  18. root — the cause
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. current — electric
  21. pound — for dogs
  22. root — of a word
  23. mouse — for a computer
  24. ruler — for measuring

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