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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 put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  2. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  3. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  4. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  9. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  10. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  17. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  18. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  19. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  22. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  23. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  24. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a rubber band
  2. ruler — a monarch
  3. scale — size or range
  4. club — for golf
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. board — a committee
  7. current — of water
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. current — happening now
  10. scale — for weighing
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. rush — hurry
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. board — to get on
  16. current — electric
  17. scale — in music
  18. band — a music group
  19. band — a ring
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. sharp — clever
  23. club — for dancing
  24. club — a group

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