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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. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  2. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  3. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  4. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  5. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  6. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  7. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  8. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  9. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  10. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  13. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  14. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  15. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  20. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  21. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  22. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  23. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  24. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a quarrel
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. row — a line
  4. hand — help
  5. prune — the fruit
  6. current — electric
  7. ruler — a monarch
  8. march — the month
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. current — happening now
  11. can — to be able to
  12. stem — to come from
  13. hand — part of the body
  14. hand — in cards
  15. prune — to trim
  16. can — a tin
  17. stem — of a plant
  18. can — a tin
  19. row — to paddle
  20. march — the month
  21. stem — a stem cell
  22. march — music
  23. current — of water
  24. prune — to trim

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