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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 put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  2. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  3. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  4. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  5. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  6. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  7. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  8. That was ________________ to happen.
  9. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  10. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  11. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  14. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  17. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  19. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  20. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  23. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  24. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a rubber band
  2. current — happening now
  3. band — a ring
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. present — there
  6. race — the arms race
  7. current — electric
  8. bound — certain
  9. pit — a fruit stone
  10. patient — calm and waiting
  11. pit — in a race
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. band — a music group
  14. bound — obliged
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. present — a gift
  18. bound — tied together
  19. pit — a hole
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. current — of water
  22. race — humankind
  23. race — a contest
  24. present — the time now

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