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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: racket · band · lie · object · current · ball · fine · clip

  1. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  2. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  3. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  6. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  7. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  8. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  11. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  12. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  13. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  19. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  20. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  21. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  22. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  23. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  24. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a great time
  2. ball — a round shape
  3. object — a thing
  4. current — of water
  5. racket — a loud noise
  6. lie — to recline
  7. object — an aim
  8. fine — all right
  9. ball — a dance
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. clip — a video
  12. object — to protest
  13. clip — to cut
  14. current — electric
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. current — happening now
  18. fine — a penalty
  19. band — a rubber band
  20. band — a ring
  21. clip — for paper
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. fine — high quality
  24. band — a music group

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