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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: rock · season · cabinet · staff · ruler · clip · current · pit

  1. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  2. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  5. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  9. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  10. Did you ________________ the meat?
  11. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  14. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  17. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  18. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  19. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  20. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  21. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  22. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  23. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  24. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. current — of water
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. current — electric
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. staff — a stick
  6. current — happening now
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. clip — a video
  9. staff — employees
  10. season — to add flavour
  11. season — of the year
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. rock — music
  14. rock — a stone
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. clip — to cut
  17. pit — in a race
  18. ruler — a monarch
  19. clip — for paper
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. season — in sport
  22. pit — a fruit stone
  23. pit — a hole
  24. staff — employees

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