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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: straw · ruler · pop · current · game · pitcher · deal · leaves

  1. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  2. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  3. He is an ace ________________.
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. We're almost out of ________________.
  7. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  8. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  9. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  10. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  11. That was a fun ________________.
  12. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  13. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  14. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  15. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  16. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  17. You don't need to ________________ round.
  18. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  19. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  20. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  21. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  22. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  23. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  24. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — a monarch
  2. straw — a straw man
  3. pitcher — in baseball
  4. current — of water
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. pop — soda
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. deal — an agreement
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. game — a match
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. game — wild animals
  14. current — happening now
  15. deal — to handle
  16. leaves — lets stay
  17. pop — to visit
  18. current — electric
  19. deal — a big deal
  20. leaves — to go away
  21. straw — dry grass
  22. pop — music
  23. straw — to clutch at straws
  24. game — a kind of play

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