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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. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  2. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  3. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  4. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  5. You don't need to ________________ round.
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  8. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  9. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  10. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  11. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  14. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  15. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  16. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  17. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  20. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  21. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  22. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  23. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  24. We're almost out of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — music
  2. fan — to cool the air
  3. tube — a container
  4. band — a music group
  5. pop — to visit
  6. tube — the underground
  7. fine — high quality
  8. current — of water
  9. fine — a penalty
  10. current — electric
  11. degree — from a university
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. fine — all right
  14. pass — to succeed
  15. pass — to spend time
  16. degree — an amount
  17. pass — a permit
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. current — happening now
  20. degree — temperature
  21. band — a ring
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. band — a rubber band
  24. pop — soda

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