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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. He was locked up in a ________________.
  2. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  3. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  4. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  5. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  6. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  11. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  12. When are we going to ________________?
  13. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  14. There's no middle ________________.
  15. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  16. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  17. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  18. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  19. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  20. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  21. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  22. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  23. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  24. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in a prison
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. ruler — a monarch
  4. firm — steady
  5. spring — a coil
  6. spring — the season
  7. current — happening now
  8. firm — a company
  9. current — electric
  10. spring — of water
  11. ground — the earth
  12. land — to come down
  13. land — ground
  14. ground — a position
  15. cell — in biology
  16. chip — in a computer
  17. land — a country
  18. cell — a phone
  19. current — of water
  20. ground — crushed
  21. firm — decided
  22. chip — for betting
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. chip — to eat

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