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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 · perch · stick · board · band · current · rest · rash

  1. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  2. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  3. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  4. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  5. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  6. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  7. Don't do anything ________________.
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  12. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  19. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  20. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  21. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  22. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  23. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  24. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — a monarch
  2. band — a rubber band
  3. rest — what's left
  4. current — electric
  5. rash — a series
  6. rash — on the skin
  7. rash — hasty
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. current — happening now
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. current — of water
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. band — a music group
  15. board — a committee
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. band — a ring
  19. board — to get on
  20. rest — what's left
  21. rest — a break
  22. perch — the fish
  23. perch — for a bird
  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