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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: band · bore · row · current · pop · charge · hand · spring

  1. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  2. We're almost out of ________________.
  3. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  4. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  5. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  8. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  9. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  10. You don't need to ________________ round.
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  13. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  14. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  15. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  16. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  17. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  18. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  19. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  20. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  21. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  22. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  23. The tickets are free of ________________.
  24. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — music
  2. pop — soda
  3. spring — a coil
  4. hand — part of the body
  5. charge — electricity
  6. current — happening now
  7. charge — in control
  8. bore — to drill
  9. bore — gave birth
  10. pop — to visit
  11. current — electric
  12. row — a line
  13. band — a rubber band
  14. hand — in cards
  15. row — a quarrel
  16. spring — of water
  17. bore — to tire
  18. current — of water
  19. row — to paddle
  20. spring — the season
  21. band — a music group
  22. hand — help
  23. charge — a price
  24. band — a ring

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