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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: fork · present · current · ruler · can · rash · capital · band

  1. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  2. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  3. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  4. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  5. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  6. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  11. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  12. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  13. Don't do anything ________________.
  14. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  15. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  16. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  17. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  18. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  19. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  20. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  21. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  22. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  23. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  24. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a music group
  2. band — a rubber band
  3. rash — a series
  4. band — a ring
  5. current — electric
  6. present — a gift
  7. current — happening now
  8. capital — money
  9. current — of water
  10. fork — in a road
  11. ruler — a monarch
  12. fork — to eat with
  13. rash — hasty
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. fork — a garden tool
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. can — a tin
  18. present — there
  19. capital — a big letter
  20. can — a tin
  21. can — to be able to
  22. capital — a city
  23. rash — on the skin
  24. present — the time now

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