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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: net · current · lie · band · track · scale · wave · cap

  1. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  2. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  3. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  6. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  7. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  8. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  9. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  12. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  15. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  16. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  19. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  20. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  21. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  22. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  23. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  24. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. wave — a sudden rise
  2. net — in sport
  3. band — a rubber band
  4. lie — to recline
  5. track — a song
  6. band — a ring
  7. track — a path
  8. wave — with your hand
  9. cap — a hat
  10. current — of water
  11. net — for catching
  12. band — a music group
  13. current — happening now
  14. cap — of ice
  15. cap — a lid
  16. net — after costs
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. current — electric
  19. wave — of the sea
  20. scale — for weighing
  21. scale — size or range
  22. scale — in music
  23. track — to keep track
  24. lie — an untruth

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