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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 116 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. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  2. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  3. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  4. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  7. That was a fun ________________.
  8. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  9. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  10. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  11. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  12. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  13. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  14. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  15. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  16. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  17. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  18. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  19. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  20. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  23. When are we going to ________________?
  24. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. racket — a loud noise
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. dip — to dunk
  5. board — a committee
  6. board — to get on
  7. game — a match
  8. dip — a sauce
  9. bank — for money
  10. deal — an agreement
  11. deal — a big deal
  12. current — happening now
  13. current — electric
  14. dip — to sink
  15. bank — of a river
  16. bank — for money
  17. land — ground
  18. land — a country
  19. board — a flat piece
  20. deal — to handle
  21. current — of water
  22. game — wild animals
  23. land — to come down
  24. game — a kind of play

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