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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. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  2. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. When was this ________________ built?
  5. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  6. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  7. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  8. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  9. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  10. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  11. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  12. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  15. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  16. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  17. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  19. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  20. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  21. The tickets are free of ________________.
  22. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  23. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  24. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a ring
  2. can — to be able to
  3. track — a song
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. band — a rubber band
  6. race — a contest
  7. race — the arms race
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. bat — in an idiom
  10. temple — side of the head
  11. bat — for baseball
  12. current — happening now
  13. can — a tin
  14. band — a music group
  15. can — a tin
  16. charge — electricity
  17. current — of water
  18. track — to keep track
  19. current — electric
  20. charge — in control
  21. charge — a price
  22. track — a path
  23. bat — the animal
  24. race — humankind

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