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

Word bank: race · scale · mug · bound · deal · rest · band · current

  1. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  2. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  3. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  4. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  5. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  6. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  7. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  8. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  9. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  10. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  11. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  14. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  15. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  16. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  17. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  18. Where did you ________________ them?
  19. That was ________________ to happen.
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  22. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  23. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  24. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a music group
  2. rest — a break
  3. scale — in music
  4. deal — to handle
  5. mug — a face
  6. scale — size or range
  7. band — a rubber band
  8. mug — a cup
  9. band — a ring
  10. rest — what's left
  11. deal — an agreement
  12. current — of water
  13. bound — tied together
  14. bound — obliged
  15. race — humankind
  16. scale — for weighing
  17. race — a contest
  18. mug — to rob
  19. bound — certain
  20. current — electric
  21. deal — a big deal
  22. race — the arms race
  23. current — happening now
  24. rest — what's left

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