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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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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. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  2. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  3. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  4. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  11. When will it ________________ you to start?
  12. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  13. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  14. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  15. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  16. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  17. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  18. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  19. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  20. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  21. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  22. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  23. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  24. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a ring
  2. band — a music group
  3. suit — in cards
  4. row — a line
  5. stand — to bear
  6. current — happening now
  7. suit — clothes
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. current — of water
  10. band — a rubber band
  11. suit — to fit
  12. row — a quarrel
  13. pitch — a sports field
  14. object — to protest
  15. row — to paddle
  16. pitch — completely
  17. object — a thing
  18. current — electric
  19. pitch — a sales talk
  20. snap — to snap out of it
  21. snap — to click
  22. snap — to speak sharply
  23. stand — on your feet
  24. object — an aim

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