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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: cabinet · spring · current · stand · fork · game · wake · rule

  1. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  2. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  4. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  5. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  8. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  9. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  10. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  11. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  12. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  13. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  14. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. That was a fun ________________.
  17. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  18. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  19. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  20. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  21. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  22. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  23. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  24. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — government
  2. stand — to bear
  3. spring — of water
  4. fork — in a road
  5. stand — for spectators
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. wake — before a funeral
  8. rule — to rule out
  9. current — happening now
  10. current — electric
  11. spring — the season
  12. wake — a trail
  13. current — of water
  14. game — a kind of play
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. game — a match
  17. game — wild animals
  18. spring — a coil
  19. stand — on your feet
  20. fork — a garden tool
  21. rule — a law
  22. cabinet — a cupboard
  23. wake — to stop sleeping
  24. fork — to eat with

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