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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. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  2. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  4. It's one o'clock ________________.
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  9. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  10. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  11. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. When are we going to ________________?
  14. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  17. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  18. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  19. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  20. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  21. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  22. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  23. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  24. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.

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

Answer key

  1. current — electric
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. pass — to succeed
  4. sharp — exactly
  5. current — happening now
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. land — ground
  9. drill — the tool
  10. clip — for paper
  11. pass — a permit
  12. current — of water
  13. land — to come down
  14. drill — army training
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. drill — a practice
  17. clip — a video
  18. land — a country
  19. clip — to cut
  20. pound — for dogs
  21. pass — to spend time
  22. sharp — clever
  23. pound — a weight
  24. pound — to hit hard

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