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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 · fan · degree · current · vault · net · staff · patient

  1. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  2. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  3. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  4. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  5. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  6. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  7. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  8. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  9. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  10. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  14. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  15. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  16. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  17. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  18. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  19. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  20. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  21. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  22. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  23. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  24. What was your ________________ profit last year?

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

Answer key

  1. rule — to rule out
  2. rule — government
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. staff — employees
  6. current — electric
  7. patient — calm and waiting
  8. staff — employees
  9. net — in sport
  10. vault — an arched ceiling
  11. current — happening now
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. degree — from a university
  14. degree — temperature
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. rule — a law
  17. degree — an amount
  18. staff — a stick
  19. current — of water
  20. net — for catching
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. vault — a safe
  23. vault — in gymnastics
  24. net — after costs

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