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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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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: foot · current · band · bowl · spell · snap · rule · fork

  1. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  2. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  3. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  4. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  5. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  6. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  7. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  8. How do you ________________ your surname?
  9. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  10. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  13. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  14. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  15. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  16. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  17. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  18. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  19. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  20. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  21. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  22. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  23. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  24. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a rubber band
  2. fork — a garden tool
  3. bowl — to roll
  4. snap — to speak sharply
  5. band — a ring
  6. foot — the bottom
  7. fork — to eat with
  8. spell — letters
  9. bowl — a football final
  10. foot — part of the body
  11. current — happening now
  12. band — a music group
  13. rule — a law
  14. bowl — a dish
  15. rule — government
  16. rule — to rule out
  17. current — of water
  18. foot — a measure
  19. snap — to click
  20. spell — magic
  21. current — electric
  22. fork — in a road
  23. spell — a short time
  24. snap — to snap out of it

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