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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. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  3. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  6. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  7. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  8. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  9. There's no middle ________________.
  10. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  11. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  12. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  13. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  14. It's one o'clock ________________.
  15. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  16. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  17. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  18. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  19. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  20. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  21. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  22. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  23. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  24. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a rubber band
  2. spring — a coil
  3. sharp — clever
  4. current — of water
  5. lean — to rest against
  6. spring — the season
  7. rock — music
  8. lean — to bend
  9. ground — a position
  10. chip — for betting
  11. chip — in a computer
  12. spring — of water
  13. band — a music group
  14. sharp — exactly
  15. lean — thin
  16. ground — crushed
  17. rock — a stone
  18. rock — to move gently
  19. current — electric
  20. current — happening now
  21. band — a ring
  22. chip — to eat
  23. sharp — with an edge
  24. ground — the earth

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