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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: march · land · pitcher · current · board · snap · pass · ruler

  1. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  2. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  5. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  6. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  9. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  10. When are we going to ________________?
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  13. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  14. He is an ace ________________.
  15. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  16. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  17. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  18. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  19. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  20. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  21. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  22. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  23. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  24. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.

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

Answer key

  1. land — ground
  2. current — of water
  3. current — electric
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. snap — to click
  6. ruler — a monarch
  7. board — to get on
  8. pass — to spend time
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. land — to come down
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. snap — to speak sharply
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. pitcher — in baseball
  15. march — the month
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. march — music
  18. snap — to snap out of it
  19. march — the month
  20. pass — a permit
  21. pass — to succeed
  22. land — a country
  23. current — happening now
  24. board — a committee

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