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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 · current · roll · fine · wave · staff · ground · cap

  1. We're on a ________________ here.
  2. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  3. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  4. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  5. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  6. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  7. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  8. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  9. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. There's no middle ________________.
  12. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  16. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  19. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  20. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  21. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  22. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  23. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  24. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — on a roll
  2. current — happening now
  3. wave — with your hand
  4. wave — a sudden rise
  5. ground — crushed
  6. roll — a cake
  7. wave — of the sea
  8. staff — employees
  9. cap — a lid
  10. cap — a hat
  11. ground — a position
  12. fine — a penalty
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. current — of water
  15. roll — a list
  16. staff — employees
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. fine — all right
  19. current — electric
  20. cabinet — a cupboard
  21. cap — of ice
  22. staff — a stick
  23. ground — the earth
  24. fine — high quality

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