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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 · bowl · mug · pass · prune · current · land · saw

  1. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  2. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  3. She's very handy with a ________________.
  4. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  5. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  6. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  7. Where did you ________________ them?
  8. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  11. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  12. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  13. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. When are we going to ________________?
  16. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  17. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  18. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  19. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  20. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  21. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  22. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  23. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  24. The people resisted their cruel ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. current — happening now
  2. pass — to succeed
  3. saw — the tool
  4. bowl — to roll
  5. bowl — a football final
  6. land — ground
  7. mug — to rob
  8. mug — a cup
  9. current — of water
  10. land — a country
  11. bowl — a dish
  12. mug — a face
  13. prune — the fruit
  14. saw — the tool
  15. land — to come down
  16. pass — to spend time
  17. pass — a permit
  18. prune — to trim
  19. prune — to trim
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. current — electric
  22. saw — past of 'see'
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. ruler — a monarch

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