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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: foot · stand · cell · fine · rule · ruler · current · charge

  1. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  2. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  3. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  4. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  5. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  6. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  7. I can't ________________ this cold.
  8. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  9. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  10. He was locked up in a ________________.
  11. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  12. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  13. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  14. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  15. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  16. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  17. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  18. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  19. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  20. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  21. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  22. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  23. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  24. The tickets are free of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — a phone
  2. fine — all right
  3. charge — electricity
  4. stand — for spectators
  5. foot — a measure
  6. charge — in control
  7. stand — to bear
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. ruler — a monarch
  10. cell — in a prison
  11. foot — part of the body
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. stand — on your feet
  14. rule — to rule out
  15. cell — in biology
  16. foot — the bottom
  17. fine — high quality
  18. current — electric
  19. rule — a law
  20. fine — a penalty
  21. current — happening now
  22. rule — government
  23. current — of water
  24. charge — a price

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