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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 · pass · wave · current · scale · hand · ground · tube

  1. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  2. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  4. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  5. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  6. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  7. I'll be taking the ________________.
  8. There's no middle ________________.
  9. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  12. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  13. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  14. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  19. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  20. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  21. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  22. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  23. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  24. Add some ________________ pepper to it.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — for weighing
  2. current — of water
  3. wave — with your hand
  4. hand — help
  5. pass — a permit
  6. rule — to rule out
  7. tube — the underground
  8. ground — a position
  9. rule — government
  10. tube — a container
  11. wave — a sudden rise
  12. pass — to succeed
  13. pass — to spend time
  14. hand — in cards
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. hand — part of the body
  17. current — electric
  18. current — happening now
  19. ground — the earth
  20. rule — a law
  21. scale — size or range
  22. wave — of the sea
  23. scale — in music
  24. ground — crushed

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