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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: current · nail · rest · capital · press · perch · charge · band

  1. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  2. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  7. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  8. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  13. Did you ________________ the button?
  14. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  15. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  16. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  17. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  18. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  19. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  22. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  23. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  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. current — electric
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. charge — a price
  5. current — happening now
  6. band — a ring
  7. perch — the fish
  8. press — a publisher
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. press — newspapers
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. capital — a big letter
  13. press — to push
  14. capital — money
  15. nail — on a finger
  16. charge — in control
  17. rest — a break
  18. band — a rubber band
  19. current — of water
  20. charge — electricity
  21. rest — what's left
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. capital — a city
  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