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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 120 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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  2. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  3. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  6. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  7. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  8. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  9. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  10. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  11. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  12. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  13. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  14. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  15. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  16. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  17. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  18. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  19. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  20. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  21. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  22. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  23. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  24. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?

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

Answer key

  1. current — electric
  2. drill — the tool
  3. current — happening now
  4. current — of water
  5. pit — a fruit stone
  6. drill — a practice
  7. pit — a hole
  8. racket — a loud noise
  9. rest — what's left
  10. rule — government
  11. capital — a city
  12. capital — money
  13. hide — animal skin
  14. rest — what's left
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. rule — to rule out
  17. rule — a law
  18. rest — a break
  19. drill — army training
  20. capital — a big letter
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. pit — in a race
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. hide — to keep secret

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