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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: bear · band · wind · pop · toast · current · mouse · present

  1. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  2. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  5. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  6. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  7. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  8. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  9. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  12. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  13. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  14. You don't need to ________________ round.
  15. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  16. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  17. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  18. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  19. We're almost out of ________________.
  20. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  21. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  22. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  23. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  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. current — happening now
  2. present — a gift
  3. current — electric
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. bear — to put up with
  6. pop — music
  7. band — a music group
  8. toast — the most admired
  9. present — there
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. bear — the animal
  12. band — a ring
  13. toast — bread
  14. pop — to visit
  15. wind — moving air
  16. wind — to turn a key
  17. present — the time now
  18. toast — a drink to someone
  19. pop — soda
  20. bear — the animal
  21. band — a rubber band
  22. wind — moving air
  23. mouse — for a computer
  24. current — of water

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