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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: chest · band · rock · ball · current · charge · tube · bay

  1. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  2. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  10. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  11. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  14. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  17. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  18. My mare is ________________ in color.
  19. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  20. The King held a masked ________________.
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  23. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  24. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a rubber band
  2. band — a ring
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. charge — a price
  5. charge — electricity
  6. tube — the underground
  7. chest — a box
  8. rock — music
  9. tube — in a tire
  10. ball — a great time
  11. chest — of your body
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. current — of water
  14. current — happening now
  15. current — electric
  16. band — a music group
  17. charge — in control
  18. bay — a horse colour
  19. bay — a part of the sea
  20. ball — a dance
  21. tube — a container
  22. bay — to keep at bay
  23. rock — a stone
  24. chest — of your body

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