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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: mouse · current · net · straw · ground · rule · board · club

  1. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  2. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  3. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  9. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  10. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  11. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  12. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  17. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  18. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  19. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  20. There's no middle ________________.
  21. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  22. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  23. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  24. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.

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

Answer key

  1. current — electric
  2. straw — a straw man
  3. rule — government
  4. current — of water
  5. rule — a law
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. straw — dry grass
  9. net — for catching
  10. ground — crushed
  11. rule — to rule out
  12. club — for dancing
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. board — a committee
  15. board — to get on
  16. ground — the earth
  17. straw — to clutch at straws
  18. club — for golf
  19. net — in sport
  20. ground — a position
  21. current — happening now
  22. net — after costs
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. club — a group

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