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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: rush · pit · stem · rash · rule · pass · current · can

  1. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  2. That must've been a ________________.
  3. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  4. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  5. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  6. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  7. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  10. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  13. Don't do anything ________________.
  14. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  15. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  16. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  17. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  18. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  19. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  20. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  21. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  24. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a hole
  2. rush — a thrill
  3. stem — of a plant
  4. pass — to succeed
  5. stem — to come from
  6. rule — a law
  7. pit — a fruit stone
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. can — a tin
  10. pass — to spend time
  11. rush — hurry
  12. current — happening now
  13. rash — hasty
  14. pass — a permit
  15. rash — on the skin
  16. current — electric
  17. pit — in a race
  18. rule — government
  19. can — to be able to
  20. rash — a series
  21. rule — to rule out
  22. can — a tin
  23. current — of water
  24. stem — a stem cell

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