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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: ball · mate · current · tear · ruler · deal

  1. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  2. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  3. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  4. The King held a masked ________________.
  5. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  8. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  9. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  10. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  11. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  14. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  15. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  18. Have you found your soul ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. current — happening now
  2. mate — a friend
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. ball — a dance
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. ball — a great time
  7. ruler — a monarch
  8. current — electric
  9. tear — from crying
  10. tear — to rip
  11. deal — an agreement
  12. mate — to breed
  13. ball — a round shape
  14. tear — from crying
  15. deal — a big deal
  16. current — of water
  17. deal — to handle
  18. mate — a partner

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