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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: cabinet · court · current · rule · degree · charge · saw · face

  1. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  2. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  4. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. She's very handy with a ________________.
  7. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  8. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  9. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  10. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  11. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  18. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  19. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  20. The ball is in your ________________.
  21. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  22. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  23. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  24. She had a strange look on her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of a king
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. face — to point toward
  4. rule — a law
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. saw — the tool
  7. degree — from a university
  8. saw — past of 'see'
  9. face — to confront
  10. rule — to rule out
  11. degree — an amount
  12. current — electric
  13. current — happening now
  14. current — of water
  15. saw — the tool
  16. charge — a price
  17. rule — government
  18. degree — temperature
  19. charge — in control
  20. court — for sport
  21. court — of law
  22. cabinet — a cupboard
  23. charge — electricity
  24. face — part of the head

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