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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 120 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. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  3. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  4. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  7. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  8. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  9. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  10. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  14. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  15. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  16. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  17. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  18. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  19. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  20. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  21. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  22. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  23. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  24. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.

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

Answer key

  1. current — of water
  2. pit — in a race
  3. bank — for money
  4. pit — a fruit stone
  5. can — to be able to
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. row — a line
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. current — happening now
  10. straw — a straw man
  11. can — a tin
  12. can — a tin
  13. straw — dry grass
  14. row — to paddle
  15. club — a group
  16. pit — a hole
  17. straw — to clutch at straws
  18. bank — of a river
  19. bank — for money
  20. club — for golf
  21. club — for dancing
  22. row — a quarrel
  23. current — electric
  24. perch — the fish

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