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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. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  2. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  4. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  5. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  6. The ________________ market has crashed.
  7. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  8. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  9. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  10. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  11. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  12. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  13. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  14. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  17. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  18. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  19. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  20. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  21. You don't need to ________________ round.
  22. We're almost out of ________________.
  23. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  24. What's the difference between broth and ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. pop — music
  2. current — electric
  3. hand — help
  4. band — a ring
  5. bore — to tire
  6. stock — shares
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. ruler — a monarch
  9. band — a rubber band
  10. bore — gave birth
  11. hand — part of the body
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. hand — in cards
  14. stock — goods
  15. current — happening now
  16. band — a music group
  17. fine — high quality
  18. fine — a penalty
  19. bore — to drill
  20. fine — all right
  21. pop — to visit
  22. pop — soda
  23. current — of water
  24. stock — a soup base

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