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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: roll · fork · ruler · pop · current · game · mark · shower

  1. That was a fun ________________.
  2. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  5. You don't need to ________________ round.
  6. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  7. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  8. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  11. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  12. We're almost out of ________________.
  13. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  14. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  17. We're on a ________________ here.
  18. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  19. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  20. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  21. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  22. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  23. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  24. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a match
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. mark — a trace
  4. roll — a cake
  5. pop — to visit
  6. fork — a garden tool
  7. fork — in a road
  8. game — a kind of play
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. fork — to eat with
  11. shower — to wash
  12. pop — soda
  13. roll — a list
  14. ruler — a monarch
  15. current — happening now
  16. game — wild animals
  17. roll — on a roll
  18. current — of water
  19. shower — rain
  20. pop — music
  21. current — electric
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. mark — a grade
  24. shower — a meteor shower

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