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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. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  3. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  4. It's one o'clock ________________.
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  9. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  12. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  13. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  14. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  15. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  18. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  21. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  22. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  23. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  24. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a rubber band
  2. sharp — clever
  3. band — a ring
  4. sharp — exactly
  5. current — happening now
  6. field — farmland
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. vault — in gymnastics
  9. vault — a safe
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. field — for sport
  12. vault — an arched ceiling
  13. fine — all right
  14. field — a subject
  15. fine — a penalty
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. content — happy
  18. current — of water
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. content — the amount
  21. band — a music group
  22. content — videos and posts
  23. fine — high quality
  24. current — electric

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