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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. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  2. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  3. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  6. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  10. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  11. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  12. He works in a ________________ mill.
  13. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  19. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  20. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  23. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  24. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — the season
  2. band — a music group
  3. spring — of water
  4. can — a tin
  5. cue — a hint
  6. cue — a signal
  7. can — a tin
  8. saw — the tool
  9. board — to get on
  10. bear — to put up with
  11. cue — for pool
  12. saw — the tool
  13. bear — the animal
  14. current — electric
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. bear — the animal
  17. board — a committee
  18. current — happening now
  19. can — to be able to
  20. spring — a coil
  21. current — of water
  22. saw — past of 'see'
  23. band — a ring
  24. band — a rubber band

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