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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. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  2. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  3. When was this ________________ built?
  4. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  5. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  8. That was a fun ________________.
  9. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  10. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  13. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  14. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  15. My mare is ________________ in color.
  16. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  19. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  20. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  21. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  22. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  23. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  24. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.

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

Answer key

  1. current — of water
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. chair — to sit on
  5. bay — to keep at bay
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. band — a ring
  8. game — a match
  9. band — a music group
  10. game — a kind of play
  11. current — happening now
  12. chair — a leader
  13. object — a thing
  14. temple — side of the head
  15. bay — a horse colour
  16. pound — to hit hard
  17. current — electric
  18. chair — a professorship
  19. game — wild animals
  20. object — to protest
  21. pound — a weight
  22. object — an aim
  23. pound — for dogs
  24. band — a rubber band

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