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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.

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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: cap · racket · rule · patient · kid · mate · object · current

  1. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  2. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  5. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  6. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  7. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  8. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  9. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  10. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  11. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  12. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  13. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  14. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  15. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  16. Have you found your soul ________________?
  17. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  18. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  19. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  20. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  21. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  22. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  23. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  24. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. object — to protest
  3. current — electric
  4. rule — to rule out
  5. kid — to tease
  6. current — of water
  7. cap — a hat
  8. kid — child
  9. racket — a loud noise
  10. mate — a friend
  11. object — an aim
  12. rule — government
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. mate — a partner
  17. mate — to breed
  18. current — happening now
  19. cap — of ice
  20. patient — calm and waiting
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. object — a thing
  23. cap — a lid
  24. rule — a law

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