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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: key · snap · current · march · ruler · pound · craft · spring

  1. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  2. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  3. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  4. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  5. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  6. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  7. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  8. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  9. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  10. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  13. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  14. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  15. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  18. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  19. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  20. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. This piece is in a major ________________.
  23. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  24. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — for dogs
  2. march — the month
  3. ruler — a monarch
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. snap — to click
  6. key — for a lock
  7. spring — the season
  8. spring — of water
  9. craft — boats
  10. pound — a weight
  11. current — electric
  12. craft — a skill
  13. spring — a coil
  14. craft — a handicraft
  15. march — music
  16. current — happening now
  17. march — the month
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. snap — to speak sharply
  20. pound — to hit hard
  21. current — of water
  22. key — in music
  23. key — the most important part
  24. snap — to snap out of it

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