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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. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  2. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  3. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  4. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  5. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  8. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  9. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  10. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  11. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  12. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  13. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  14. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  15. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  16. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  17. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  18. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  19. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  20. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  21. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. I can't ________________ this cold.
  24. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.

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

Answer key

  1. current — happening now
  2. chip — in a computer
  3. band — a ring
  4. band — a rubber band
  5. wind — moving air
  6. net — for catching
  7. stand — for spectators
  8. net — in sport
  9. band — a music group
  10. bore — to tire
  11. bore — to drill
  12. chip — for betting
  13. current — of water
  14. jam — in traffic
  15. wind — moving air
  16. chip — to eat
  17. stand — on your feet
  18. jam — a tight spot
  19. jam — to spread on bread
  20. net — after costs
  21. bore — gave birth
  22. current — electric
  23. stand — to bear
  24. wind — to turn a key

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