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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. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  2. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  4. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  5. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  6. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  7. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  11. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  12. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  15. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  16. The King held a masked ________________.
  17. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  18. That was ________________ to happen.
  19. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  20. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  21. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  22. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  23. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  24. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — for baseball
  2. current — of water
  3. pound — for dogs
  4. deal — an agreement
  5. ball — a great time
  6. current — electric
  7. bat — the animal
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. band — a rubber band
  11. band — a music group
  12. bound — tied together
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. current — happening now
  15. deal — a big deal
  16. ball — a dance
  17. band — a ring
  18. bound — certain
  19. bat — in an idiom
  20. pound — a weight
  21. bound — obliged
  22. deal — to handle
  23. ball — a round shape
  24. pound — to hit hard

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