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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's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  2. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  3. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  4. David sat on the ________________.
  5. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  8. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  9. That was ________________ to happen.
  10. We're on a ________________ here.
  11. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  12. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  13. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  14. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  15. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  16. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  17. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  18. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  19. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  20. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  21. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  24. We are ________________ to obey laws.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a music group
  2. current — happening now
  3. band — a rubber band
  4. swing — to play on
  5. tube — in a tire
  6. tube — the underground
  7. roll — a list
  8. swing — music
  9. bound — certain
  10. roll — on a roll
  11. track — a path
  12. roll — a cake
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. bound — tied together
  16. track — a song
  17. perch — the fish
  18. band — a ring
  19. tube — a container
  20. swing — in golf
  21. track — to keep track
  22. current — electric
  23. current — of water
  24. bound — obliged

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