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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. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  2. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  3. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  4. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  5. When will it ________________ you to start?
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  8. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  9. Have you found your soul ________________?
  10. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  11. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  15. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  16. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  17. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  18. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  19. We're almost out of ________________.
  20. You don't need to ________________ round.
  21. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  22. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  23. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  24. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.

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

Answer key

  1. current — electric
  2. band — a rubber band
  3. deal — a big deal
  4. mate — a friend
  5. suit — to fit
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. band — a ring
  8. nail — on a finger
  9. mate — a partner
  10. suit — clothes
  11. pop — music
  12. mate — to breed
  13. current — happening now
  14. clip — for paper
  15. clip — to cut
  16. deal — to handle
  17. current — of water
  18. clip — a video
  19. pop — soda
  20. pop — to visit
  21. suit — in cards
  22. band — a music group
  23. deal — an agreement
  24. nail — for a hammer

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