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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: current · kick · rule · lash · mark · bass · field · kid

  1. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  2. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  5. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  6. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  7. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  8. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  9. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  10. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  14. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  19. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  20. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  23. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  24. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — to rule out
  2. bass — the instrument
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. kick — a thrill
  5. field — for sport
  6. bass — the fish
  7. rule — a law
  8. field — farmland
  9. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  10. rule — government
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. current — electric
  13. kid — child
  14. kick — in football
  15. current — happening now
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. mark — a trace
  19. mark — a grade
  20. bass — low music
  21. current — of water
  22. kid — to tease
  23. field — a subject
  24. kick — with a leg

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