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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. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  2. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  4. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  5. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  6. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  7. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  8. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  9. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  10. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  11. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  12. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  13. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  14. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  15. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  16. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  17. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  18. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  19. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  20. The ball is in your ________________.
  21. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  22. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  23. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  24. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — belonging to me
  2. current — of water
  3. chair — a professorship
  4. current — electric
  5. toast — a drink to someone
  6. bank — for money
  7. bank — for money
  8. bank — of a river
  9. current — happening now
  10. face — part of the head
  11. mine — an explosive
  12. face — to point toward
  13. toast — bread
  14. court — of law
  15. mine — for digging
  16. band — a music group
  17. face — to confront
  18. band — a ring
  19. toast — the most admired
  20. court — for sport
  21. chair — a leader
  22. court — of a king
  23. band — a rubber band
  24. chair — to sit on

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