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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's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  2. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  3. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  6. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  7. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  8. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  9. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  10. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  11. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  12. Have you found your soul ________________?
  13. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  14. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  15. He is an ace ________________.
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?
  19. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  20. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  21. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  22. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  23. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  24. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a music group
  2. band — a ring
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. track — a path
  5. current — of water
  6. track — a song
  7. band — a rubber band
  8. mouse — for a computer
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. mate — a friend
  11. track — to keep track
  12. mate — a partner
  13. rule — a law
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. pitcher — in baseball
  16. current — happening now
  17. rule — government
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. mate — to breed
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. coach — pulled by horses
  22. rule — to rule out
  23. current — electric
  24. mouse — the animal

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