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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. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  3. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  4. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  5. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  6. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  7. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  8. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  9. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  10. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  11. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  12. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  15. Where did you ________________ them?
  16. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  17. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  18. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  19. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  20. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  21. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  22. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  23. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  24. What's the difference between broth and ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. current — happening now
  2. mine — for digging
  3. bark — to shout
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. current — electric
  6. straw — dry grass
  7. ruler — a monarch
  8. straw — a straw man
  9. mug — a face
  10. mine — belonging to me
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. rest — a break
  13. stock — shares
  14. bark — a dog's sound
  15. mug — to rob
  16. mug — a cup
  17. rest — what's left
  18. mine — an explosive
  19. stock — goods
  20. straw — to clutch at straws
  21. bark — of a tree
  22. rest — what's left
  23. current — of water
  24. stock — a soup base

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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