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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: season · current · lie · cabinet · band · degree · pound · racket

  1. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  2. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  3. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  7. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  8. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  11. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  12. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  13. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. Did you ________________ the meat?
  19. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  20. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  21. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  22. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  23. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  24. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — to hit hard
  2. racket — a loud noise
  3. season — in sport
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. band — a music group
  8. degree — an amount
  9. current — of water
  10. band — a rubber band
  11. band — a ring
  12. pound — for dogs
  13. degree — temperature
  14. current — electric
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. current — happening now
  18. season — to add flavour
  19. lie — to recline
  20. degree — from a university
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. season — of the year
  23. cabinet — a cupboard
  24. pound — a weight

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