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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. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  2. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  3. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  4. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  5. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  6. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  7. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  8. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  11. There's no middle ________________.
  12. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  13. When are we going to ________________?
  14. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  17. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  18. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  19. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  20. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  21. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  22. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  23. Have you met the new head ________________?
  24. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. current — happening now
  2. ground — crushed
  3. toast — bread
  4. coach — pulled by horses
  5. land — a country
  6. ground — the earth
  7. pound — a weight
  8. current — of water
  9. current — electric
  10. bank — of a river
  11. ground — a position
  12. toast — the most admired
  13. land — to come down
  14. lash — an eyelash
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. toast — a drink to someone
  17. land — ground
  18. bank — for money
  19. pound — for dogs
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. pound — to hit hard
  22. bank — for money
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. lash — a whip stroke

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