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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. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  2. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  3. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  4. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  5. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  6. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  9. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  10. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  11. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  12. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  13. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  14. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  15. That was a fun ________________.
  16. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  19. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  20. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  24. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?

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

Answer key

  1. present — there
  2. band — a rubber band
  3. track — a path
  4. track — to keep track
  5. bank — of a river
  6. rule — to rule out
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. present — the time now
  9. bank — for money
  10. rule — a law
  11. band — a ring
  12. current — happening now
  13. game — wild animals
  14. game — a kind of play
  15. game — a match
  16. rule — government
  17. track — a song
  18. current — electric
  19. band — a music group
  20. bank — for money
  21. current — of water
  22. calf — of the leg
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. present — a gift

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