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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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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: object · current · firm · mate · pound · ruler · kick · wound

  1. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  2. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  3. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  4. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  5. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  6. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  7. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  10. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  11. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  12. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  13. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  14. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  15. Have you found your soul ________________?
  16. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  17. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  18. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  19. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  20. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  21. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  22. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  23. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  24. This looks like a gunshot ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. object — to protest
  2. pound — to hit hard
  3. object — an aim
  4. kick — a thrill
  5. current — electric
  6. pound — for dogs
  7. mate — to breed
  8. current — happening now
  9. firm — decided
  10. kick — with a leg
  11. firm — a company
  12. mate — a friend
  13. ruler — a monarch
  14. wound — past of 'wind'
  15. mate — a partner
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. kick — in football
  18. firm — steady
  19. current — of water
  20. wound — an injury
  21. object — a thing
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. pound — a weight
  24. wound — an injury

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