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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. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  2. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  3. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  4. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  5. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  6. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  7. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  8. Did you ________________ the button?
  9. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  10. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  11. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  12. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  13. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  14. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  17. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  18. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  19. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  20. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  21. That was ________________ to happen.
  22. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  23. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  24. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. current — electric
  2. press — newspapers
  3. rule — a law
  4. field — a subject
  5. band — a music group
  6. rule — government
  7. cap — of ice
  8. press — to push
  9. cap — a lid
  10. band — a rubber band
  11. field — for sport
  12. cap — a hat
  13. bound — obliged
  14. scale — in music
  15. current — happening now
  16. bound — tied together
  17. press — a publisher
  18. rule — to rule out
  19. scale — for weighing
  20. scale — size or range
  21. bound — certain
  22. current — of water
  23. band — a ring
  24. field — farmland

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