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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. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  2. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  3. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  8. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  9. When are we going to ________________?
  10. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  11. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  14. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  17. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  18. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  19. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  20. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  21. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  22. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  23. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  24. Don't do anything ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. current — happening now
  2. pit — a hole
  3. band — a rubber band
  4. current — of water
  5. current — electric
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. rash — a series
  8. band — a ring
  9. land — to come down
  10. lean — to bend
  11. lean — to rest against
  12. mark — a trace
  13. lean — thin
  14. bowl — a dish
  15. mark — a grade
  16. pit — a fruit stone
  17. land — a country
  18. land — ground
  19. pit — in a race
  20. band — a music group
  21. bowl — a football final
  22. bowl — to roll
  23. rash — on the skin
  24. rash — hasty

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