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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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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. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  2. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  3. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  4. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  5. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  6. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  7. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  8. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. We're on a ________________ here.
  15. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  16. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  17. He is an ace ________________.
  18. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  19. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  20. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  21. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  22. Don't do anything ________________.
  23. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  24. He had ________________ pain while walking.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — to rule out
  2. rule — a law
  3. current — happening now
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. roll — a cake
  6. current — of water
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. roll — a list
  9. charge — a price
  10. rash — on the skin
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. charge — in control
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. roll — on a roll
  15. fork — in a road
  16. rule — government
  17. pitcher — in baseball
  18. current — electric
  19. fork — to eat with
  20. rash — a series
  21. fork — a garden tool
  22. rash — hasty
  23. charge — electricity
  24. calf — of the leg

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