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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: tube · current · pound · pitcher · rest · spell · staff · rule

  1. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  2. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  3. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  4. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  5. How do you ________________ your surname?
  6. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  7. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  8. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  9. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  10. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  11. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  12. He is an ace ________________.
  13. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  14. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  19. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  20. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  21. I'll be taking the ________________.
  22. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  23. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  24. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — to rule out
  2. rule — a law
  3. tube — in a tire
  4. spell — a short time
  5. spell — letters
  6. tube — a container
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. pound — a weight
  9. spell — magic
  10. pound — for dogs
  11. rule — government
  12. pitcher — in baseball
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. rest — a break
  15. current — happening now
  16. staff — employees
  17. current — electric
  18. rest — what's left
  19. staff — a stick
  20. current — of water
  21. tube — the underground
  22. rest — what's left
  23. pound — to hit hard
  24. staff — employees

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