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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: game · wave · ball · mate · clip · rash · current · rule

  1. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  2. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  3. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  4. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  5. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  8. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  9. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  10. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  11. The King held a masked ________________.
  12. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  13. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  14. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  15. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  16. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  17. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  18. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  19. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  20. Have you found your soul ________________?
  21. That was a fun ________________.
  22. Don't do anything ________________.
  23. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  24. Hold the papers together with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — to rule out
  2. rash — a series
  3. wave — of the sea
  4. current — electric
  5. clip — a video
  6. ball — a great time
  7. rule — government
  8. game — a kind of play
  9. ball — a round shape
  10. game — wild animals
  11. ball — a dance
  12. wave — with your hand
  13. rule — a law
  14. rash — on the skin
  15. clip — to cut
  16. wave — a sudden rise
  17. mate — to breed
  18. mate — a friend
  19. current — of water
  20. mate — a partner
  21. game — a match
  22. rash — hasty
  23. current — happening now
  24. clip — for paper

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