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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. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  2. False peace will not ________________.
  3. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  4. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  5. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  6. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  7. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  12. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  13. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  14. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  15. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  16. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  17. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  18. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  19. What do you think of the new ________________?
  20. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  21. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  22. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  23. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  24. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.

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

Answer key

  1. current — electric
  2. last — to go on
  3. foot — part of the body
  4. pound — for dogs
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. object — an aim
  7. object — a thing
  8. current — happening now
  9. foot — the bottom
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. band — a ring
  12. band — a rubber band
  13. object — to protest
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. band — a music group
  16. pound — to hit hard
  17. current — of water
  18. foot — a measure
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. pound — a weight
  21. last — finally
  22. last — final
  23. racket — a loud noise
  24. cabinet — ministers

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