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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: mine · press · can · ruler · last · game · fine · current

  1. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  2. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  3. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  4. Did you ________________ the button?
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  7. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  8. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  11. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  12. False peace will not ________________.
  13. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  14. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. That was a fun ________________.
  17. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  19. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  22. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  23. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  24. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.

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

Answer key

  1. current — of water
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. last — finally
  4. press — to push
  5. can — a tin
  6. game — wild animals
  7. ruler — a monarch
  8. last — final
  9. can — a tin
  10. current — happening now
  11. mine — belonging to me
  12. last — to go on
  13. fine — a penalty
  14. mine — an explosive
  15. can — to be able to
  16. game — a match
  17. fine — all right
  18. fine — high quality
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. current — electric
  21. press — newspapers
  22. press — a publisher
  23. mine — for digging
  24. game — a kind of play

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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