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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. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  2. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  3. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  4. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  5. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  6. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  7. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. How do you ________________ your surname?
  11. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  14. Have you settled on a ________________?
  15. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  16. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  17. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  18. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  19. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  20. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  21. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  24. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. pitch — completely
  4. staff — a stick
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. staff — employees
  7. spell — magic
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. current — of water
  10. spell — letters
  11. band — a music group
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. spell — a short time
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. pitch — a sales talk
  16. ruler — a monarch
  17. band — a rubber band
  18. date — the fruit
  19. pitch — a sports field
  20. band — a ring
  21. wake — a trail
  22. current — happening now
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. current — electric

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