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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. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  2. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  9. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  14. Have you met the new head ________________?
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  19. This piece is in a major ________________.
  20. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. The ________________ market has crashed.
  23. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  24. The train ________________ at six o'clock.

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 rubber band
  3. stock — goods
  4. rush — hurry
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. key — for a lock
  7. current — happening now
  8. leaves — lets stay
  9. hide — animal skin
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. band — a ring
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. key — the most important part
  17. stock — a soup base
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. key — in music
  20. leaves — of a tree
  21. current — of water
  22. stock — shares
  23. current — electric
  24. leaves — to go away

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