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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 put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  2. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  4. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  5. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  6. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  7. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  8. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  9. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  10. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  11. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  15. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  16. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  19. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  20. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  21. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  22. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  23. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  24. Where did you ________________ them?

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

Answer key

  1. band — a rubber band
  2. current — of water
  3. scale — in music
  4. wave — of the sea
  5. band — a ring
  6. mug — a face
  7. net — for catching
  8. band — a music group
  9. scale — for weighing
  10. fork — in a road
  11. fork — to eat with
  12. net — after costs
  13. current — happening now
  14. fork — a garden tool
  15. wave — with your hand
  16. trunk — of a tree
  17. current — electric
  18. trunk — of an elephant
  19. trunk — of a car
  20. scale — size or range
  21. wave — a sudden rise
  22. net — in sport
  23. mug — a cup
  24. mug — to rob

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