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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: pound · current · bear · band · patient · rule

  1. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  2. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  4. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  5. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  6. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  7. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  10. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  11. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  12. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  13. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  14. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  15. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  16. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  17. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  18. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — to put up with
  2. current — of water
  3. pound — a weight
  4. patient — calm and waiting
  5. rule — a law
  6. pound — for dogs
  7. current — electric
  8. current — happening now
  9. bear — the animal
  10. pound — to hit hard
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. band — a ring
  13. band — a rubber band
  14. bear — the animal
  15. rule — to rule out
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. rule — government
  18. band — a music group

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