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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 116 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 still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  2. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  3. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  4. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  5. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  6. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  7. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  8. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  9. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  10. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  11. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  14. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  17. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  18. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  19. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  20. It's one o'clock ________________.
  21. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  22. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  23. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  24. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a ring
  2. band — a music group
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. bank — for money
  5. sharp — clever
  6. band — a rubber band
  7. bank — of a river
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. rash — a series
  10. scale — for weighing
  11. scale — size or range
  12. current — electric
  13. current — of water
  14. sharp — with an edge
  15. rash — hasty
  16. pound — a weight
  17. bank — for money
  18. perch — the fish
  19. rash — on the skin
  20. sharp — exactly
  21. pound — to hit hard
  22. scale — in music
  23. pound — for dogs
  24. current — happening now

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