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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 116 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: cabinet · pit · fine · cell · rule · current

  1. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  2. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  3. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  6. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  7. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  8. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  9. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  10. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  11. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  12. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  13. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  14. What do you think of the new ________________?
  15. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  18. He was locked up in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — all right
  2. rule — a law
  3. pit — in a race
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. pit — a hole
  6. rule — to rule out
  7. pit — a fruit stone
  8. current — electric
  9. cell — a phone
  10. fine — a penalty
  11. rule — government
  12. current — happening now
  13. fine — high quality
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. current — of water
  17. cell — in biology
  18. cell — in a prison

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