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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: band · mouse · rule · current · pass · hand

  1. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  2. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  3. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  4. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  5. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  6. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  7. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  8. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  9. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  10. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  11. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  12. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  13. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  16. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  17. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  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. current — electric
  2. pass — a permit
  3. hand — in cards
  4. hand — part of the body
  5. mouse — for a computer
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. hand — help
  8. band — a rubber band
  9. band — a ring
  10. pass — to spend time
  11. current — of water
  12. current — happening now
  13. rule — government
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. rule — a law
  16. pass — to succeed
  17. band — a music group
  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