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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 120 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 still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  2. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  6. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  9. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  10. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  16. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  17. What do you think of the new ________________?
  18. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  19. My mare is ________________ in color.
  20. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  21. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  24. Have you met the new head ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. band — a ring
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. bay — a part of the sea
  4. current — happening now
  5. racket — a loud noise
  6. current — electric
  7. bulb — for light
  8. hand — part of the body
  9. hand — help
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. bay — to keep at bay
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. band — a music group
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. hand — in cards
  19. bay — a horse colour
  20. current — of water
  21. band — a rubber band
  22. bulb — for light
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. coach — a trainer

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