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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: straw · rule · current · clip · pound · cabinet · court · firm

  1. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  2. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  3. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  4. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  5. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  6. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  7. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  8. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  9. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  10. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  11. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  12. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  13. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  14. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  15. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  16. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  19. The ball is in your ________________.
  20. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  21. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  22. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  24. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — to hit hard
  2. pound — a weight
  3. firm — steady
  4. clip — for paper
  5. court — of law
  6. rule — a law
  7. straw — a straw man
  8. firm — a company
  9. clip — a video
  10. straw — to clutch at straws
  11. court — of a king
  12. rule — to rule out
  13. current — of water
  14. straw — dry grass
  15. rule — government
  16. pound — for dogs
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. current — happening now
  19. court — for sport
  20. cabinet — a cupboard
  21. current — electric
  22. clip — to cut
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. firm — decided

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