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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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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: cap · chip · pass · perch · rule · current · cell · wake

  1. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  2. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  3. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  4. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  8. He was locked up in a ________________.
  9. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  10. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  11. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  12. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  13. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  14. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  15. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  16. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  17. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  18. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  19. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  20. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  21. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  22. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  23. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  24. Let us try to swim against the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. current — electric
  2. wake — before a funeral
  3. wake — to stop sleeping
  4. rule — to rule out
  5. wake — a trail
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. cap — of ice
  8. cell — in a prison
  9. cell — in biology
  10. current — happening now
  11. perch — the fish
  12. pass — to succeed
  13. cell — a phone
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. chip — for betting
  16. rule — government
  17. cap — a hat
  18. pass — a permit
  19. rule — a law
  20. pass — to spend time
  21. cap — a lid
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. chip — to eat
  24. current — of water

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