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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: bowl · game · current · leaves · craft · rule · squash · nail

  1. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  2. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  5. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  6. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  7. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  8. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  9. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  10. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  13. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  14. That was a fun ________________.
  15. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  16. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  17. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  18. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  19. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  20. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  21. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  22. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  23. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  24. Let us try to swim against the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — to go away
  2. rule — government
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. bowl — a dish
  5. current — electric
  6. bowl — a football final
  7. game — wild animals
  8. bowl — to roll
  9. game — a kind of play
  10. squash — the vegetable
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. leaves — of a tree
  13. craft — a skill
  14. game — a match
  15. leaves — lets stay
  16. squash — the sport
  17. squash — to crush
  18. current — happening now
  19. craft — a handicraft
  20. nail — on a finger
  21. rule — to rule out
  22. rule — a law
  23. craft — boats
  24. current — of water

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