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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 · staff · bowl · arm · pound · bear · cabinet · current

  1. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  2. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  3. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  6. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  7. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  8. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  9. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  12. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  13. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  14. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  15. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  16. My father caught me by the ________________.
  17. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  18. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  19. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  20. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  21. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  22. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  24. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. current — of water
  2. bowl — to roll
  3. rule — to rule out
  4. current — happening now
  5. bowl — a football final
  6. pound — to hit hard
  7. pound — a weight
  8. staff — a stick
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. rule — government
  12. bowl — a dish
  13. pound — for dogs
  14. arm — a part of something
  15. staff — employees
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. bear — the animal
  18. bear — to put up with
  19. rule — a law
  20. staff — employees
  21. cabinet — a cupboard
  22. bear — the animal
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. current — electric

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