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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. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  2. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  5. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  6. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  9. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  10. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  11. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  15. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  18. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  19. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  20. I'll be taking the ________________.
  21. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  22. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  23. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  24. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. current — electric
  2. clip — for paper
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. drill — the tool
  5. drill — a practice
  6. cap — a hat
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. drill — army training
  9. cap — of ice
  10. band — a rubber band
  11. tube — a container
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. current — happening now
  15. clip — a video
  16. current — of water
  17. stick — to attach or keep to
  18. board — a committee
  19. board — to get on
  20. tube — the underground
  21. clip — to cut
  22. band — a music group
  23. cap — a lid
  24. band — a ring

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