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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. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  2. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  4. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  5. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  8. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  9. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  10. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  11. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  12. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  13. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  14. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  15. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  16. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  19. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  20. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  21. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  22. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  23. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  24. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. current — electric
  3. pitch — a sales talk
  4. ruler — a monarch
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. current — happening now
  7. pitch — completely
  8. net — for catching
  9. file — a line of people
  10. squash — the vegetable
  11. file — a document
  12. track — a path
  13. net — in sport
  14. squash — to crush
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. file — a tool
  17. net — after costs
  18. track — to keep track
  19. track — a song
  20. current — of water
  21. pitch — a sports field
  22. squash — the sport
  23. patient — calm and waiting
  24. patient — a sick person

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