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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 116 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: deal · ruler · saw · clip · current · press · fine · track

  1. She's very handy with a ________________.
  2. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  5. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  6. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  10. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  11. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  12. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  13. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  14. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  18. Did you ________________ the button?
  19. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  24. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. ruler — a monarch
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. deal — to handle
  5. clip — to cut
  6. clip — for paper
  7. track — a song
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. press — newspapers
  11. press — a publisher
  12. fine — all right
  13. fine — high quality
  14. clip — a video
  15. current — of water
  16. deal — a big deal
  17. saw — the tool
  18. press — to push
  19. track — to keep track
  20. current — electric
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. current — happening now
  23. track — a path
  24. fine — a penalty

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