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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. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  2. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  3. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  4. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. That was a fun ________________.
  7. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  8. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  9. The ________________ market has crashed.
  10. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  11. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  12. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  13. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  14. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  15. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  16. We're on a ________________ here.
  17. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  18. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  19. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  20. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  21. When was this ________________ built?
  22. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  23. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  24. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.

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

Answer key

  1. current — of water
  2. bank — for money
  3. bank — of a river
  4. bank — for money
  5. current — happening now
  6. game — a match
  7. object — an aim
  8. roll — a cake
  9. stock — shares
  10. vault — a safe
  11. object — a thing
  12. stock — goods
  13. game — wild animals
  14. roll — a list
  15. object — to protest
  16. roll — on a roll
  17. stock — a soup base
  18. temple — side of the head
  19. game — a kind of play
  20. vault — an arched ceiling
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. current — electric
  24. vault — in gymnastics

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