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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. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  2. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  3. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  6. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  7. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  8. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  9. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  10. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  11. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  12. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  13. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  14. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  15. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  16. Did you ________________ the meat?
  17. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  18. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  19. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  20. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  24. The polar ice ________________ is melting.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — for dogs
  2. band — a rubber band
  3. bank — for money
  4. track — a path
  5. track — a song
  6. band — a music group
  7. season — in sport
  8. drill — a practice
  9. season — of the year
  10. bank — of a river
  11. track — to keep track
  12. drill — the tool
  13. pound — to hit hard
  14. band — a ring
  15. drill — army training
  16. season — to add flavour
  17. cap — a lid
  18. cap — a hat
  19. current — happening now
  20. pound — a weight
  21. current — of water
  22. current — electric
  23. bank — for money
  24. cap — of ice

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