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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. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  2. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  3. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  4. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  5. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  6. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  7. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  8. That was ________________ to happen.
  9. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  10. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  11. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  12. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  15. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  16. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  17. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  18. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  19. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  20. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  21. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  22. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  23. That was a fun ________________.
  24. Let us try to swim against the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — a trail
  2. game — a kind of play
  3. bound — tied together
  4. pound — for dogs
  5. pound — to hit hard
  6. rest — what's left
  7. wake — before a funeral
  8. bound — certain
  9. rest — a break
  10. pound — a weight
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. wake — to stop sleeping
  13. current — happening now
  14. game — wild animals
  15. rest — what's left
  16. patient — calm and waiting
  17. bound — obliged
  18. drill — a practice
  19. current — electric
  20. drill — army training
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. drill — the tool
  23. game — a match
  24. current — of water

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