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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 still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  2. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  4. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  5. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  6. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  7. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  8. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  9. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  10. I'll be taking the ________________.
  11. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  12. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  16. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  19. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  20. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  21. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  22. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  23. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  24. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a ring
  2. wave — of the sea
  3. pass — to succeed
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. band — a rubber band
  6. safe — a strongbox
  7. capital — a big letter
  8. pass — to spend time
  9. content — happy
  10. tube — the underground
  11. tube — a container
  12. capital — money
  13. current — happening now
  14. current — of water
  15. content — videos and posts
  16. capital — a city
  17. current — electric
  18. wave — a sudden rise
  19. band — a music group
  20. tube — in a tire
  21. wave — with your hand
  22. pass — a permit
  23. content — the amount
  24. safe — out of danger

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