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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 · current · bowl · bat · stand · club · ground · pop

  1. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  2. There's no middle ________________.
  3. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  4. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  5. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  6. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  7. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  8. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  9. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  10. We're almost out of ________________.
  11. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  12. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  13. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  14. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  19. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  20. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  21. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  22. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  23. You don't need to ________________ round.
  24. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — crushed
  2. ground — a position
  3. bowl — a dish
  4. bat — in an idiom
  5. current — of water
  6. rule — to rule out
  7. bat — the animal
  8. rule — a law
  9. bat — for baseball
  10. pop — soda
  11. club — a group
  12. bowl — to roll
  13. ground — the earth
  14. pop — music
  15. current — electric
  16. club — for golf
  17. stand — to bear
  18. stand — on your feet
  19. bowl — a football final
  20. club — for dancing
  21. stand — for spectators
  22. rule — government
  23. pop — to visit
  24. current — happening now

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