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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. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  2. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  6. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  7. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  10. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  11. There's no middle ________________.
  12. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  13. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  14. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  15. How do you ________________ your surname?
  16. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  17. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  18. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  19. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  20. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  21. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  22. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  23. Have you settled on a ________________?
  24. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — a stick
  2. spell — a short time
  3. drill — the tool
  4. current — of water
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. ground — the earth
  7. current — electric
  8. current — happening now
  9. staff — employees
  10. drill — a practice
  11. ground — a position
  12. ground — crushed
  13. spell — magic
  14. present — there
  15. spell — letters
  16. bank — of a river
  17. bank — for money
  18. staff — employees
  19. present — a gift
  20. drill — army training
  21. bank — for money
  22. present — the time now
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. date — the fruit

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