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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. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  13. We're almost out of ________________.
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  19. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  20. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  21. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  22. You don't need to ________________ round.
  23. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  24. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a ring
  2. band — a music group
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. bulb — for light
  5. field — a subject
  6. current — happening now
  7. current — electric
  8. saw — the tool
  9. current — of water
  10. pop — music
  11. saw — the tool
  12. field — farmland
  13. pop — soda
  14. mark — a grade
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. bulb — for light
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. mark — a trace
  19. band — a rubber band
  20. bore — to tire
  21. field — for sport
  22. pop — to visit
  23. bore — gave birth
  24. bore — to drill

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