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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: current · rule · object · bear · row · ruler · pop · patient

  1. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  2. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  4. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  5. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  6. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  7. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  8. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  9. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  10. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  11. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  12. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  13. We're almost out of ________________.
  14. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  15. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  16. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  17. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  18. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  19. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  20. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  21. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  22. You don't need to ________________ round.
  23. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  24. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?

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

Answer key

  1. object — a thing
  2. current — electric
  3. patient — calm and waiting
  4. rule — a law
  5. object — to protest
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. bear — the animal
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. ruler — a monarch
  10. row — to paddle
  11. row — a quarrel
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. pop — soda
  14. bear — the animal
  15. row — a line
  16. object — an aim
  17. rule — to rule out
  18. bear — to put up with
  19. current — of water
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. pop — music
  22. pop — to visit
  23. current — happening now
  24. rule — government

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