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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. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. The ball is in your ________________.
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  7. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  8. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  9. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  10. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  11. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  12. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  13. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  14. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  15. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  16. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  17. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  20. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  21. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  24. Tom got himself in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. current — of water
  2. bank — of a river
  3. rush — hurry
  4. court — for sport
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. pound — a weight
  7. court — of a king
  8. bank — for money
  9. jam — in traffic
  10. bank — for money
  11. pound — to hit hard
  12. lash — a whip stroke
  13. pound — for dogs
  14. current — happening now
  15. net — for catching
  16. court — of law
  17. net — in sport
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. current — electric
  20. jam — to spread on bread
  21. lash — an eyelash
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. net — after costs
  24. jam — a tight spot

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