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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 120 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: rock · current · rest · pit · sharp · rule · band · scale

  1. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  2. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  5. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  6. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  7. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  8. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  9. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  10. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  11. It's one o'clock ________________.
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  16. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  17. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  18. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  19. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  22. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  23. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  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. sharp — clever
  2. rest — what's left
  3. current — of water
  4. rock — to move gently
  5. rest — what's left
  6. band — a rubber band
  7. scale — for weighing
  8. pit — a hole
  9. rock — a stone
  10. band — a ring
  11. sharp — exactly
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. pit — a fruit stone
  14. rock — music
  15. rest — a break
  16. rule — a law
  17. pit — in a race
  18. scale — size or range
  19. current — happening now
  20. current — electric
  21. rule — government
  22. scale — in music
  23. rule — to rule out
  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