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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: rule · current · bowl · bat · stand · club

  1. I can't ________________ this cold.
  2. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  3. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  4. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  5. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  6. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  9. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  12. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  13. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  16. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  17. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  18. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — to bear
  2. club — for dancing
  3. bat — the animal
  4. bowl — a football final
  5. bowl — a dish
  6. current — electric
  7. current — happening now
  8. rule — government
  9. club — a group
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. bowl — to roll
  12. bat — in an idiom
  13. current — of water
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. bat — for baseball
  16. rule — a law
  17. club — for golf
  18. rule — to rule out

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