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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: current · rash · can · fine · stick · rule · cap · fork

  1. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  2. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  3. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  7. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  8. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  12. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  17. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  18. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  19. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  20. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  21. Don't do anything ________________.
  22. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  23. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  24. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. fine — high quality
  3. rash — on the skin
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. current — happening now
  6. cap — a hat
  7. fork — a garden tool
  8. fine — a penalty
  9. current — electric
  10. current — of water
  11. rash — a series
  12. rule — a law
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. cap — a lid
  15. can — to be able to
  16. fork — to eat with
  17. rule — government
  18. fork — in a road
  19. can — a tin
  20. cap — of ice
  21. rash — hasty
  22. rule — to rule out
  23. fine — all right
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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