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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: cap · row · rule · spell · bat · current · roll · bulb

  1. We're on a ________________ here.
  2. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  7. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  8. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  9. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  10. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  11. How do you ________________ your surname?
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  14. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  15. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  16. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  19. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  20. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  23. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  24. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — on a roll
  2. cap — of ice
  3. bulb — for light
  4. bat — in an idiom
  5. current — happening now
  6. roll — a list
  7. spell — magic
  8. row — to paddle
  9. row — a quarrel
  10. rule — government
  11. spell — letters
  12. current — electric
  13. rule — a law
  14. rule — to rule out
  15. spell — a short time
  16. row — a line
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. roll — a cake
  19. current — of water
  20. bat — the animal
  21. bulb — for light
  22. cap — a lid
  23. bat — for baseball
  24. cap — a hat

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