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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. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  2. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  3. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  4. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  5. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  6. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  7. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  8. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  9. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  10. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  11. We're almost out of ________________.
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  14. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  15. You don't need to ________________ round.
  16. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  17. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  18. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  19. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  20. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  21. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  22. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  23. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  24. He hit the ball with his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. current — happening now
  2. band — a ring
  3. leaves — lets stay
  4. racket — a loud noise
  5. current — electric
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. band — a rubber band
  8. leaves — to go away
  9. cap — of ice
  10. staff — employees
  11. pop — soda
  12. current — of water
  13. pop — music
  14. cap — a lid
  15. pop — to visit
  16. band — a music group
  17. cap — a hat
  18. mouse — for a computer
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. staff — employees
  22. leaves — of a tree
  23. staff — a stick
  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