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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  2. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  3. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  4. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  5. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  6. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  7. Did you ________________ the meat?
  8. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  9. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  10. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  11. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  12. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  13. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  14. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  15. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  16. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — in music
  2. season — in sport
  3. scale — for weighing
  4. scale — size or range
  5. hand — help
  6. band — a music group
  7. season — to add flavour
  8. cap — a lid
  9. hand — in cards
  10. hand — part of the body
  11. current — of water
  12. cap — a hat
  13. band — a ring
  14. cap — of ice
  15. band — a rubber band
  16. season — of the year
  17. current — happening now
  18. 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