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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 120 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
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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 · march · shower · pound · arm · bat · current · bound

  1. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  2. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  3. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  4. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  5. My father caught me by the ________________.
  6. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  7. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  8. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  9. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  12. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  13. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  14. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  15. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  16. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  17. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  18. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  19. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  20. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  21. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  22. That was ________________ to happen.
  23. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  24. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. shower — to wash
  3. bat — for baseball
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. current — electric
  7. bound — tied together
  8. march — the month
  9. current — happening now
  10. current — of water
  11. shower — rain
  12. march — music
  13. bat — the animal
  14. pound — for dogs
  15. pound — to hit hard
  16. ruler — a monarch
  17. arm — a part of something
  18. march — the month
  19. shower — a meteor shower
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. bat — in an idiom
  22. bound — certain
  23. bound — obliged
  24. pound — a weight

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