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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 116 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: field · shower · current · dip · mouse · charge · nail · rule

  1. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  2. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  4. The ________________ went through the wall.
  5. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  6. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  7. The tickets are free of ________________.
  8. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  9. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  14. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  15. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  16. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  17. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  18. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  19. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  20. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  21. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  22. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  23. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  24. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — to rule out
  2. current — electric
  3. field — farmland
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. field — a subject
  6. mouse — for a computer
  7. charge — a price
  8. shower — to wash
  9. shower — rain
  10. charge — in control
  11. dip — a sauce
  12. charge — electricity
  13. dip — to sink
  14. current — happening now
  15. nail — on a finger
  16. rule — government
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. shower — a meteor shower
  19. field — for sport
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. rule — a law
  23. current — of water
  24. dip — to dunk

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