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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. That was ________________ to happen.
  2. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  3. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  4. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  5. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  6. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  9. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  10. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  13. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  14. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  17. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  18. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  19. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  20. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  21. There's no middle ________________.
  22. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  23. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — certain
  2. band — a music group
  3. ground — the earth
  4. band — a ring
  5. current — of water
  6. ground — crushed
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. band — a rubber band
  9. current — happening now
  10. snap — to click
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. bound — obliged
  13. snap — to snap out of it
  14. bound — tied together
  15. current — electric
  16. can — to be able to
  17. prune — the fruit
  18. prune — to trim
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. can — a tin
  21. ground — a position
  22. prune — to trim
  23. snap — to speak sharply
  24. can — a tin

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