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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 116 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. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  2. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  3. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  4. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  5. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  6. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  7. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  8. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  11. We're almost out of ________________.
  12. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  13. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  14. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  15. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  18. You don't need to ________________ round.
  19. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  20. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  21. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  22. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  23. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  24. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — a stone
  2. drill — a practice
  3. band — a ring
  4. track — a song
  5. cap — a hat
  6. band — a music group
  7. cap — a lid
  8. current — electric
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. bat — the animal
  11. pop — soda
  12. rock — music
  13. cap — of ice
  14. drill — army training
  15. band — a rubber band
  16. current — of water
  17. bat — for baseball
  18. pop — to visit
  19. drill — the tool
  20. pop — music
  21. current — happening now
  22. bat — in an idiom
  23. track — a path
  24. track — to keep track

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