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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. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  2. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  6. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  7. You don't need to ________________ round.
  8. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  9. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  10. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  11. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  12. We're almost out of ________________.
  13. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  14. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  17. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  18. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  19. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  20. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  21. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  22. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  23. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  24. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. coach — pulled by horses
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. current — happening now
  5. band — a ring
  6. fine — high quality
  7. pop — to visit
  8. band — a music group
  9. pop — music
  10. rest — what's left
  11. fine — a penalty
  12. pop — soda
  13. drill — army training
  14. drill — the tool
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. leaves — of a tree
  17. drill — a practice
  18. band — a rubber band
  19. fine — all right
  20. rest — a break
  21. current — electric
  22. leaves — lets stay
  23. current — of water
  24. coach — a trainer

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