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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: current · rule · present · mate · racket · cold

  1. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  2. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  5. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  6. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  7. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  8. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  9. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  10. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  11. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  12. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  13. Have you found your soul ________________?
  14. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  15. The water is too ________________.
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  18. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?

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

Answer key

  1. present — the time now
  2. racket — a loud noise
  3. current — electric
  4. rule — to rule out
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. cold — the Cold War
  7. rule — a law
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. mate — to breed
  10. present — there
  11. current — of water
  12. present — a gift
  13. mate — a partner
  14. mate — a friend
  15. cold — not warm
  16. current — happening now
  17. cold — an illness
  18. rule — government

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