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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: current · cap · mark · wake · pop · mine · ruler · row

  1. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  2. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  3. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  6. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  10. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  11. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  12. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  13. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  14. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  15. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  16. We're almost out of ________________.
  17. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  18. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  19. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  24. You don't need to ________________ round.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a lid
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. mine — for digging
  4. mark — a trace
  5. wake — before a funeral
  6. row — a quarrel
  7. wake — a trail
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. row — a line
  10. current — happening now
  11. ruler — a monarch
  12. pop — music
  13. mine — belonging to me
  14. cap — of ice
  15. cap — a hat
  16. pop — soda
  17. mine — an explosive
  18. current — of water
  19. row — to paddle
  20. current — electric
  21. wake — to stop sleeping
  22. mark — a grade
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. pop — to visit

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