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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's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  2. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  9. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  16. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  17. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  18. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  19. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  20. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  21. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  22. Have you met the new head ________________?
  23. There's no middle ________________.
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a music group
  2. band — a ring
  3. rush — hurry
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. current — happening now
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. ground — the earth
  9. leaves — lets stay
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. current — of water
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. band — a rubber band
  16. club — a group
  17. club — for golf
  18. current — electric
  19. ground — crushed
  20. club — for dancing
  21. leaves — of a tree
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. ground — a position
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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