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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. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  2. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. She's very handy with a ________________.
  5. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  8. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  9. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  10. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  11. He works in a ________________ mill.
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  14. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  15. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  21. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  22. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  23. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  24. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.

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. current — of water
  4. saw — the tool
  5. chair — a leader
  6. current — happening now
  7. bowl — to roll
  8. bowl — a football final
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. bowl — a dish
  11. saw — the tool
  12. bulb — for light
  13. bat — in an idiom
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. band — a rubber band
  16. bulb — for light
  17. current — electric
  18. chair — a professorship
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. racket — a loud noise
  21. bat — for baseball
  22. bat — the animal
  23. saw — past of 'see'
  24. chair — to sit on

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