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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 got dealt a bad ________________.
  3. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  4. That was a fun ________________.
  5. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  6. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  7. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  8. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  9. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  10. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  11. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  12. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  13. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  14. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  15. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  16. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  17. The ball is in your ________________.
  18. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  19. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  20. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  21. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  22. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  23. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  24. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. current — happening now
  2. hand — in cards
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. game — a match
  5. court — of law
  6. current — electric
  7. hand — help
  8. drill — army training
  9. drill — a practice
  10. pound — a weight
  11. jam — in traffic
  12. court — of a king
  13. ruler — a monarch
  14. hand — part of the body
  15. game — a kind of play
  16. pound — for dogs
  17. court — for sport
  18. jam — to spread on bread
  19. current — of water
  20. drill — the tool
  21. jam — a tight spot
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. pound — to hit hard
  24. game — wild animals

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