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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 put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  2. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  3. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  4. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  5. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  10. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  14. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  17. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  18. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  19. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  20. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  21. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  22. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  23. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  24. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a rubber band
  2. band — a music group
  3. net — for catching
  4. net — in sport
  5. current — electric
  6. current — happening now
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. file — a line of people
  10. file — a tool
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. net — after costs
  13. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  14. band — a ring
  15. current — of water
  16. pit — in a race
  17. bore — gave birth
  18. file — a document
  19. bore — to drill
  20. kid — to tease
  21. bore — to tire
  22. pit — a hole
  23. pit — a fruit stone
  24. kid — child

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