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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: key · field · fan · arm · pass · current · spell · rule

  1. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  2. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  4. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  5. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  6. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  9. My father caught me by the ________________.
  10. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  14. This piece is in a major ________________.
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  17. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  18. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  19. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  20. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  21. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  22. How do you ________________ your surname?
  23. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  24. Let us try to swim against the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — to rule out
  2. spell — a short time
  3. rule — a law
  4. pass — to spend time
  5. rule — government
  6. spell — magic
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. field — a subject
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. current — happening now
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. current — electric
  13. pass — a permit
  14. key — in music
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. field — for sport
  17. arm — a part of something
  18. key — for a lock
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. pass — to succeed
  21. key — the most important part
  22. spell — letters
  23. field — farmland
  24. current — of water

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