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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 120 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: band · current · foot · rule · scale · nail · board · chip

  1. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  2. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  4. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  5. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  6. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  7. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  12. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  13. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  14. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  15. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  16. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  19. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  20. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  21. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  22. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  23. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  24. The ________________ went through the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — government
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. scale — for weighing
  4. rule — a law
  5. current — electric
  6. scale — size or range
  7. foot — the bottom
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. current — of water
  10. board — a committee
  11. band — a ring
  12. band — a music group
  13. chip — in a computer
  14. scale — in music
  15. band — a rubber band
  16. foot — a measure
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. chip — to eat
  19. current — happening now
  20. board — to get on
  21. foot — part of the body
  22. rule — to rule out
  23. chip — for betting
  24. nail — for a hammer

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