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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. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  2. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  3. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  6. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  7. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  8. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  18. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  21. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  22. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  23. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  24. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a ring
  2. charge — in control
  3. field — farmland
  4. charge — electricity
  5. band — a music group
  6. current — electric
  7. band — a rubber band
  8. field — a subject
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. fine — high quality
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. bass — the instrument
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. fine — all right
  16. current — of water
  17. lie — to recline
  18. field — for sport
  19. charge — a price
  20. rush — hurry
  21. current — happening now
  22. bass — low music
  23. bass — the fish
  24. fine — a penalty

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