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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 116 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: ball · tube · scale · leaves · swing · current · fine · band

  1. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  2. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  5. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  6. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  7. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  8. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  9. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  10. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  11. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  12. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  13. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  14. David sat on the ________________.
  15. The King held a masked ________________.
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. I'll be taking the ________________.
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  19. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  20. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  21. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  22. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  23. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  24. Let us try to swim against the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — a container
  2. fine — all right
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. band — a rubber band
  5. band — a ring
  6. fine — high quality
  7. scale — in music
  8. swing — in golf
  9. scale — size or range
  10. current — electric
  11. fine — a penalty
  12. tube — in a tire
  13. scale — for weighing
  14. swing — to play on
  15. ball — a dance
  16. current — happening now
  17. tube — the underground
  18. ball — a round shape
  19. ball — a great time
  20. leaves — lets stay
  21. swing — music
  22. band — a music group
  23. leaves — of a tree
  24. current — of water

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