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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: rule · lean · scale · current · cue · cold · plane · pound

  1. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  2. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  3. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  6. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  7. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  8. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  9. The ________________ took off on time.
  10. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  11. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  12. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  13. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  14. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  15. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  16. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  17. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  18. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  19. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  20. The water is too ________________.
  21. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  22. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  23. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  24. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — an illness
  2. current — happening now
  3. rule — a law
  4. current — of water
  5. rule — to rule out
  6. scale — size or range
  7. cold — the Cold War
  8. rule — government
  9. plane — an aircraft
  10. current — electric
  11. pound — a weight
  12. cue — a hint
  13. plane — in geometry
  14. plane — a tool
  15. pound — for dogs
  16. pound — to hit hard
  17. lean — to bend
  18. scale — for weighing
  19. lean — thin
  20. cold — not warm
  21. cue — for pool
  22. scale — in music
  23. lean — to rest against
  24. cue — a signal

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