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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. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  2. Have you settled on a ________________?
  3. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  4. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  5. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  6. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  7. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  8. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  9. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  10. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  11. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  12. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  13. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  14. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  15. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  16. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  17. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  18. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  19. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  20. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  21. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  22. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  23. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  24. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a lid
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. current — happening now
  4. pound — for dogs
  5. bank — for money
  6. band — a rubber band
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. cap — of ice
  9. pound — to hit hard
  10. patient — calm and waiting
  11. pound — a weight
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. bank — of a river
  14. band — a music group
  15. date — the fruit
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. current — electric
  19. current — of water
  20. cap — a hat
  21. racket — a loud noise
  22. bank — for money
  23. band — a ring
  24. racket — for tennis

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