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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: spring · current · mug · fine · can · stand · game · band

  1. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  3. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  4. That was a fun ________________.
  5. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  6. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  7. I can't ________________ this cold.
  8. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  12. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  13. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  14. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  15. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  16. Where did you ________________ them?
  17. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  18. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  19. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  20. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  21. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  24. Let us try to swim against the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — high quality
  2. fine — all right
  3. current — happening now
  4. game — a match
  5. stand — on your feet
  6. game — a kind of play
  7. stand — to bear
  8. spring — of water
  9. can — to be able to
  10. can — a tin
  11. mug — a cup
  12. band — a rubber band
  13. mug — a face
  14. game — wild animals
  15. stand — for spectators
  16. mug — to rob
  17. band — a ring
  18. spring — a coil
  19. fine — a penalty
  20. band — a music group
  21. spring — the season
  22. can — a tin
  23. current — electric
  24. current — of water

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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