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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: ruler · tear · net · mouse · saw · current · pound · spell

  1. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  3. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  4. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  5. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  6. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  7. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  8. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  9. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  10. How do you ________________ your surname?
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  13. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  14. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  19. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  20. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  21. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  22. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  23. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  24. Should I buy a wireless ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. net — after costs
  3. tear — from crying
  4. tear — from crying
  5. current — electric
  6. pound — for dogs
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. ruler — a monarch
  9. spell — magic
  10. spell — letters
  11. saw — the tool
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. pound — to hit hard
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. current — of water
  16. net — for catching
  17. saw — the tool
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. pound — a weight
  20. current — happening now
  21. spell — a short time
  22. net — in sport
  23. tear — to rip
  24. mouse — for a computer

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