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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. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  2. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  3. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  4. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  5. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  6. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  9. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  10. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  11. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  12. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  13. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  14. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  15. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  18. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  19. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  22. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  23. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  24. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a music group
  2. rest — what's left
  3. rest — what's left
  4. can — a tin
  5. pitch — a sports field
  6. wax — to grow
  7. current — of water
  8. band — a ring
  9. wax — in the ear
  10. fine — a penalty
  11. dip — to dunk
  12. band — a rubber band
  13. rest — a break
  14. pitch — completely
  15. wax — for sculpting
  16. can — a tin
  17. pitch — a sales talk
  18. current — electric
  19. fine — all right
  20. can — to be able to
  21. current — happening now
  22. fine — high quality
  23. dip — to sink
  24. dip — a sauce

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