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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: nail · bark · rule · court · chip · current · tear · object

  1. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  2. The ________________ went through the wall.
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  5. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  8. The ball is in your ________________.
  9. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  12. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  13. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  14. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  15. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  16. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  17. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  18. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  19. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  20. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  21. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  24. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.

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. nail — for a hammer
  4. bark — a dog's sound
  5. current — of water
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. current — electric
  8. court — for sport
  9. object — a thing
  10. chip — to eat
  11. court — of law
  12. nail — on a finger
  13. rule — to rule out
  14. tear — to rip
  15. court — of a king
  16. tear — from crying
  17. object — to protest
  18. bark — of a tree
  19. chip — for betting
  20. rule — a law
  21. tear — from crying
  22. current — happening now
  23. object — an aim
  24. bark — to shout

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