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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.

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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. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  7. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  10. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  11. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  12. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  13. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  14. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  15. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  16. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — in music
  2. content — happy
  3. current — of water
  4. band — a ring
  5. current — happening now
  6. wave — with your hand
  7. band — a music group
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. wave — a sudden rise
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. wave — of the sea
  12. scale — for weighing
  13. mouse — for a computer
  14. content — the amount
  15. band — a rubber band
  16. scale — size or range
  17. current — electric
  18. content — videos and posts

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