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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: present · rule · lie · staff · pit · current · chip · cap

  1. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  2. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  3. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  8. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  9. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  10. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  11. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  12. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  13. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  14. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  15. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  16. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  17. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  18. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  19. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  20. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  23. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  24. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. present — there
  3. present — the time now
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. chip — to eat
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. rule — to rule out
  8. current — of water
  9. staff — employees
  10. pit — a hole
  11. cap — a hat
  12. current — happening now
  13. cap — a lid
  14. chip — for betting
  15. present — a gift
  16. rule — a law
  17. staff — a stick
  18. rule — government
  19. cap — of ice
  20. pit — in a race
  21. lie — to recline
  22. chip — in a computer
  23. pit — a fruit stone
  24. current — electric

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