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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. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  2. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  3. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  4. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  5. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  6. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  7. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  8. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  9. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  10. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  14. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  15. How do you ________________ your surname?
  16. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  17. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  18. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  19. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  20. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  21. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  22. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  23. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  24. My mare is ________________ in color.

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

Answer key

  1. current — of water
  2. rule — government
  3. track — to keep track
  4. pound — for dogs
  5. march — the month
  6. march — music
  7. bark — of a tree
  8. track — a path
  9. bark — a dog's sound
  10. rule — to rule out
  11. current — electric
  12. spell — magic
  13. bark — to shout
  14. current — happening now
  15. spell — letters
  16. track — a song
  17. spell — a short time
  18. pound — to hit hard
  19. bay — a part of the sea
  20. pound — a weight
  21. march — the month
  22. bay — to keep at bay
  23. rule — a law
  24. bay — a horse colour

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