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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 refilled his coffee ________________.
  2. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  3. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  4. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. We're almost out of ________________.
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  11. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  14. You don't need to ________________ round.
  15. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  16. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  17. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  18. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  19. Did you ________________ the meat?
  20. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  21. Where did you ________________ them?
  22. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  23. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  24. ________________ games are popular in Germany.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a cup
  2. racket — a loud noise
  3. band — a ring
  4. pop — music
  5. board — to get on
  6. pop — soda
  7. current — happening now
  8. row — to paddle
  9. board — a committee
  10. season — of the year
  11. band — a rubber band
  12. current — of water
  13. current — electric
  14. pop — to visit
  15. mug — a face
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. row — a line
  18. row — a quarrel
  19. season — to add flavour
  20. band — a music group
  21. mug — to rob
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. season — in sport
  24. board — a flat piece

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