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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: cell · current · charge · rest · mug · ruler · bark · pitcher

  1. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  2. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  3. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  4. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  5. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  6. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  7. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  8. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  9. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  10. Where did you ________________ them?
  11. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  12. He is an ace ________________.
  13. He was locked up in a ________________.
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  17. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  18. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  19. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  20. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  21. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  22. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  23. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  24. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — a break
  2. current — happening now
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. bark — of a tree
  5. ruler — a monarch
  6. current — of water
  7. rest — what's left
  8. cell — a phone
  9. mug — a cup
  10. mug — to rob
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. pitcher — in baseball
  13. cell — in a prison
  14. current — electric
  15. charge — a price
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. rest — what's left
  18. charge — electricity
  19. charge — in control
  20. bark — to shout
  21. bark — a dog's sound
  22. mug — a face
  23. cell — in biology
  24. ruler — for measuring

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