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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: staff · bound · current · fine · can · clip · band · net

  1. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  2. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  6. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  7. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  8. That was ________________ to happen.
  9. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  10. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  11. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  12. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  15. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  18. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  19. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  20. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  21. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  22. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  23. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  24. The old man leaned on his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — for paper
  2. current — electric
  3. fine — a penalty
  4. can — to be able to
  5. clip — to cut
  6. bound — tied together
  7. net — after costs
  8. bound — certain
  9. staff — employees
  10. band — a music group
  11. net — for catching
  12. band — a rubber band
  13. can — a tin
  14. staff — employees
  15. fine — high quality
  16. current — of water
  17. band — a ring
  18. bound — obliged
  19. net — in sport
  20. clip — a video
  21. current — happening now
  22. can — a tin
  23. fine — all right
  24. staff — a stick

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