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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: rule · fork · tube · fine · current · wax · ground · net

  1. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  2. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  5. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  6. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  7. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  10. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  11. I'll be taking the ________________.
  12. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  13. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  14. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  15. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  18. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  19. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  20. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  21. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  22. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  23. There's no middle ________________.
  24. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — for sculpting
  2. rule — to rule out
  3. current — of water
  4. net — after costs
  5. net — in sport
  6. rule — government
  7. fork — in a road
  8. current — happening now
  9. fine — all right
  10. net — for catching
  11. tube — the underground
  12. fork — a garden tool
  13. current — electric
  14. ground — crushed
  15. fine — high quality
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. fine — a penalty
  18. fork — to eat with
  19. wax — to grow
  20. rule — a law
  21. tube — in a tire
  22. ground — the earth
  23. ground — a position
  24. tube — a container

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