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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. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  2. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  3. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  4. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  7. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  8. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  19. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  20. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  21. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  22. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  23. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  24. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — in cards
  2. tube — in a tire
  3. current — happening now
  4. band — a rubber band
  5. rock — a stone
  6. hand — help
  7. bass — low music
  8. band — a music group
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. bass — the fish
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. hand — part of the body
  13. tube — the underground
  14. current — electric
  15. pit — in a race
  16. current — of water
  17. rock — music
  18. bass — the instrument
  19. wax — to grow
  20. tube — a container
  21. pit — a hole
  22. pit — a fruit stone
  23. wax — in the ear
  24. band — a ring

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