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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  2. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  3. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  4. There's no middle ________________.
  5. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  6. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  7. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  8. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  9. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  10. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  11. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  12. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  13. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  14. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  15. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  16. When was this ________________ built?
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  19. False peace will not ________________.
  20. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  21. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  22. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  23. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  24. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.

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

Answer key

  1. present — the time now
  2. bank — of a river
  3. club — a group
  4. ground — a position
  5. club — for golf
  6. last — finally
  7. ground — the earth
  8. bank — for money
  9. present — a gift
  10. club — for dancing
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. scale — size or range
  13. scale — in music
  14. bank — for money
  15. scale — for weighing
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. current — electric
  18. last — final
  19. last — to go on
  20. current — of water
  21. ground — crushed
  22. temple — side of the head
  23. current — happening now
  24. present — there

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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