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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 120 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 put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  2. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  3. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  6. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  7. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  8. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  9. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  12. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  15. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  16. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  17. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  18. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  19. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  20. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  23. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  24. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — to sit on
  2. can — to be able to
  3. club — for dancing
  4. current — happening now
  5. net — for catching
  6. current — electric
  7. band — a music group
  8. chair — a professorship
  9. band — a rubber band
  10. can — a tin
  11. cap — a lid
  12. leaves — of a tree
  13. can — a tin
  14. net — after costs
  15. club — a group
  16. cap — a hat
  17. club — for golf
  18. net — in sport
  19. current — of water
  20. leaves — to go away
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. chair — a leader
  23. cap — of ice
  24. band — a ring

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