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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. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  2. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  3. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  4. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  5. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  6. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  9. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  10. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  11. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  12. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  13. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  16. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  17. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  18. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  19. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  20. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  21. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  22. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  23. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  24. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?

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

Answer key

  1. present — the time now
  2. band — a ring
  3. present — a gift
  4. rock — music
  5. face — to point toward
  6. rock — a stone
  7. current — happening now
  8. face — part of the head
  9. cap — a hat
  10. cap — of ice
  11. prune — to trim
  12. prune — to trim
  13. track — a path
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. face — to confront
  16. band — a music group
  17. current — of water
  18. track — a song
  19. band — a rubber band
  20. prune — the fruit
  21. present — there
  22. track — to keep track
  23. current — electric
  24. cap — a lid

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