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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: object · current · can · pound · drill · roll · rule · hand

  1. We're on a ________________ here.
  2. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  3. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  4. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  5. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  6. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  7. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  8. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  9. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  10. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  15. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  16. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  17. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  18. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  19. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  20. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  21. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  22. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  23. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  24. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — on a roll
  2. can — to be able to
  3. roll — a list
  4. pound — to hit hard
  5. hand — in cards
  6. rule — a law
  7. object — to protest
  8. pound — for dogs
  9. rule — to rule out
  10. rule — government
  11. can — a tin
  12. drill — a practice
  13. current — happening now
  14. drill — army training
  15. object — a thing
  16. hand — help
  17. current — of water
  18. object — an aim
  19. roll — a cake
  20. hand — part of the body
  21. current — electric
  22. pound — a weight
  23. can — a tin
  24. drill — the tool

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