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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. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  2. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  3. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  4. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  5. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  6. Did you ________________ the meat?
  7. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  8. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  9. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  12. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  13. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  14. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  18. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  19. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  20. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  21. My father caught me by the ________________.
  22. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  23. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  24. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a rubber band
  2. arm — a part of something
  3. current — happening now
  4. leaves — of a tree
  5. net — in sport
  6. season — to add flavour
  7. pound — for dogs
  8. band — a music group
  9. kick — with a leg
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. season — in sport
  12. band — a ring
  13. pound — to hit hard
  14. kick — in football
  15. current — electric
  16. current — of water
  17. season — of the year
  18. net — for catching
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. kick — a thrill
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. net — after costs
  23. leaves — to go away
  24. pound — a weight

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