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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. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  2. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  4. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  9. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  10. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  11. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  12. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  13. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  14. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  15. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  16. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  17. Where did you ________________ them?
  18. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  19. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  22. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  23. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  24. He refilled his coffee ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a hole
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. cabinet — a cupboard
  4. band — a music group
  5. current — happening now
  6. pound — to hit hard
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. current — of water
  9. pit — a fruit stone
  10. rule — to rule out
  11. pound — a weight
  12. mug — a face
  13. spring — the season
  14. spring — of water
  15. band — a rubber band
  16. rule — a law
  17. mug — to rob
  18. band — a ring
  19. pound — for dogs
  20. current — electric
  21. rule — government
  22. pit — in a race
  23. spring — a coil
  24. mug — a cup

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