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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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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: cell · staff · rule · race · fork · foot · current · firm

  1. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  2. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  6. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  7. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  8. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  9. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  10. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  11. He was locked up in a ________________.
  12. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  13. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  14. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  15. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  16. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  17. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  18. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  19. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  20. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  21. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  22. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  23. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  24. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — in a road
  2. fork — a garden tool
  3. current — electric
  4. current — of water
  5. race — humankind
  6. firm — a company
  7. cell — in biology
  8. rule — government
  9. staff — employees
  10. staff — employees
  11. cell — in a prison
  12. rule — to rule out
  13. cell — a phone
  14. firm — steady
  15. foot — part of the body
  16. race — the arms race
  17. rule — a law
  18. foot — the bottom
  19. current — happening now
  20. firm — decided
  21. staff — a stick
  22. race — a contest
  23. foot — a measure
  24. fork — to eat with

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