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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: mine · mouse · pass · pit · cold · firm · rule · current

  1. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  2. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  3. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  4. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  5. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  6. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  7. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  11. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  12. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  13. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  14. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  15. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  16. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  17. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  18. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  19. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  20. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  21. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  22. The water is too ________________.
  23. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  24. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — government
  2. firm — steady
  3. pit — in a race
  4. rule — a law
  5. pit — a hole
  6. pass — to succeed
  7. mine — belonging to me
  8. current — happening now
  9. current — of water
  10. pass — a permit
  11. mine — an explosive
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. current — electric
  14. pass — to spend time
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. pit — a fruit stone
  17. firm — decided
  18. rule — to rule out
  19. mouse — for a computer
  20. firm — a company
  21. cold — the Cold War
  22. cold — not warm
  23. mine — for digging
  24. cold — an illness

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