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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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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: charge · hand · pit · can · band · current · rock · key

  1. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  2. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  6. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  7. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  8. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  11. This piece is in a major ________________.
  12. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  13. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  23. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a music group
  2. pit — in a race
  3. can — to be able to
  4. current — happening now
  5. pit — a fruit stone
  6. current — electric
  7. can — a tin
  8. hand — part of the body
  9. charge — a price
  10. rock — a stone
  11. key — in music
  12. hand — help
  13. hand — in cards
  14. key — for a lock
  15. key — the most important part
  16. current — of water
  17. band — a ring
  18. charge — in control
  19. band — a rubber band
  20. charge — electricity
  21. rock — music
  22. rock — to move gently
  23. pit — a hole
  24. can — a tin

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