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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: pitch · fine · bank · mate · chip · drill · rule · current

  1. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  2. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  3. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  4. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  5. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  6. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  7. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  8. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  9. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  10. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  11. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  12. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  13. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  16. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  17. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  18. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  19. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  20. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  21. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. Have you found your soul ________________?
  24. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — a practice
  2. bank — for money
  3. current — happening now
  4. rule — a law
  5. chip — to eat
  6. pitch — a sales talk
  7. mate — a friend
  8. rule — government
  9. bank — of a river
  10. chip — in a computer
  11. mate — to breed
  12. fine — high quality
  13. chip — for betting
  14. current — of water
  15. rule — to rule out
  16. pitch — a sports field
  17. fine — all right
  18. bank — for money
  19. drill — the tool
  20. fine — a penalty
  21. pitch — completely
  22. current — electric
  23. mate — a partner
  24. drill — army training

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