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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: roll · current · cue · ball · drill · wound · season · rule

  1. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  2. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. Did you ________________ the meat?
  4. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  7. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  8. We're on a ________________ here.
  9. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  10. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  11. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  12. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  13. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  16. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  17. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  18. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  19. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  20. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  21. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  22. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  23. The King held a masked ________________.
  24. I'll take my ________________ from you.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — a practice
  2. current — electric
  3. season — to add flavour
  4. cue — a signal
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. rule — a law
  7. roll — a cake
  8. roll — on a roll
  9. season — of the year
  10. rule — to rule out
  11. drill — army training
  12. wound — an injury
  13. rule — government
  14. ball — a great time
  15. drill — the tool
  16. wound — past of 'wind'
  17. roll — a list
  18. wound — an injury
  19. cue — for pool
  20. current — of water
  21. current — happening now
  22. season — in sport
  23. ball — a dance
  24. cue — a hint

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