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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 116 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. Have you met the new head ________________?
  3. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  4. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  5. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  6. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  7. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  8. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  9. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  10. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  11. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  12. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  13. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  16. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  17. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  18. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  19. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  20. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  21. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  24. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. current — electric
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. rock — a stone
  4. rule — to rule out
  5. rule — government
  6. band — a music group
  7. rock — music
  8. safe — a strongbox
  9. prune — to trim
  10. prune — to trim
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. content — happy
  13. rule — a law
  14. current — of water
  15. content — videos and posts
  16. prune — the fruit
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. rock — to move gently
  19. band — a rubber band
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. content — the amount
  22. current — happening now
  23. coach — pulled by horses
  24. band — a ring

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