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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: rule · mouse · content · bark · chip · stand · band · current

  1. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  2. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  5. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  6. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  7. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  8. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  9. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  10. I can't ________________ this cold.
  11. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  12. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  13. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  16. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  17. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  18. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  19. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  20. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  21. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  22. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  23. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  24. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — government
  2. band — a rubber band
  3. current — of water
  4. content — videos and posts
  5. stand — for spectators
  6. bark — to shout
  7. rule — to rule out
  8. mouse — for a computer
  9. rule — a law
  10. stand — to bear
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. band — a music group
  13. stand — on your feet
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. content — the amount
  16. bark — a dog's sound
  17. chip — for betting
  18. chip — in a computer
  19. current — happening now
  20. chip — to eat
  21. bark — of a tree
  22. band — a ring
  23. content — happy
  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