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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 116 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's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  2. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  3. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  4. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  5. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  6. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  7. He works in a ________________ mill.
  8. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  9. She's very handy with a ________________.
  10. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  11. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  12. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  13. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  14. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  19. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  20. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  21. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  22. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  23. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  24. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a music group
  2. craft — a handicraft
  3. root — of a word
  4. band — a rubber band
  5. current — electric
  6. race — a contest
  7. saw — the tool
  8. cue — a hint
  9. saw — the tool
  10. root — the cause
  11. craft — boats
  12. cue — for pool
  13. pound — a weight
  14. cue — a signal
  15. current — of water
  16. saw — past of 'see'
  17. current — happening now
  18. pound — to hit hard
  19. root — of a plant
  20. craft — a skill
  21. band — a ring
  22. race — humankind
  23. race — the arms race
  24. pound — for dogs

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