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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.

Make a worksheet

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: bass · content · cabinet · rule · ruler · current · pit · key

  1. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  2. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  4. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  9. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  12. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  13. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  14. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  17. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  20. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  21. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  22. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  23. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  24. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.

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

Answer key

  1. content — happy
  2. key — in music
  3. rule — to rule out
  4. bass — low music
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. ruler — a monarch
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. current — of water
  11. bass — the fish
  12. content — videos and posts
  13. content — the amount
  14. pit — a hole
  15. key — the most important part
  16. bass — the instrument
  17. rule — government
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. current — electric
  20. current — happening now
  21. pit — a fruit stone
  22. rule — a law
  23. key — for a lock
  24. pit — in a race

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