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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: ruler · pound · face · can · hand · band · content · current

  1. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  2. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  4. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  7. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  8. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  9. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  10. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  11. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  12. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  13. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  16. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  17. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  18. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  19. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  20. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  21. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  22. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  23. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  24. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.

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. band — a rubber band
  4. can — a tin
  5. current — happening now
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. content — the amount
  8. face — to confront
  9. content — happy
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. band — a ring
  12. ruler — a monarch
  13. can — to be able to
  14. can — a tin
  15. hand — part of the body
  16. face — part of the head
  17. pound — for dogs
  18. hand — in cards
  19. hand — help
  20. content — videos and posts
  21. pound — to hit hard
  22. current — of water
  23. face — to point toward
  24. pound — a weight

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