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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 · track · last · mouse · game · saw · craft · current

  1. False peace will not ________________.
  2. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  3. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  4. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  5. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  6. That was a fun ________________.
  7. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  8. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  9. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  10. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  11. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  14. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  19. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  20. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  21. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  22. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  23. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  24. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.

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

Answer key

  1. last — to go on
  2. track — a path
  3. last — finally
  4. track — a song
  5. craft — boats
  6. game — a match
  7. craft — a skill
  8. mouse — for a computer
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. craft — a handicraft
  11. saw — past of 'see'
  12. current — of water
  13. ruler — a monarch
  14. game — a kind of play
  15. saw — the tool
  16. current — electric
  17. saw — the tool
  18. last — final
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. track — to keep track
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. game — wild animals
  23. current — happening now
  24. ruler — for measuring

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