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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
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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: pop · ball · current · stand · tube · band · bound · racket

  1. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  2. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  4. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  8. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  9. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  10. You don't need to ________________ round.
  11. That was ________________ to happen.
  12. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  13. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  16. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  17. The King held a masked ________________.
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  19. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  20. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  21. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  22. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  23. We're almost out of ________________.
  24. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a ring
  2. stand — to bear
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. tube — in a tire
  5. tube — the underground
  6. ball — a great time
  7. pop — music
  8. band — a music group
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. pop — to visit
  11. bound — certain
  12. band — a rubber band
  13. tube — a container
  14. current — of water
  15. racket — a loud noise
  16. bound — obliged
  17. ball — a dance
  18. bound — tied together
  19. stand — on your feet
  20. ball — a round shape
  21. current — electric
  22. stand — for spectators
  23. pop — soda
  24. current — happening 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