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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'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  2. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  3. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  4. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  5. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  6. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  7. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  8. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  9. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  10. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  11. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  14. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  15. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  16. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  17. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  18. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  19. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  20. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  21. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  22. The King held a masked ________________.
  23. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  24. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. shower — rain
  3. current — happening now
  4. club — for dancing
  5. current — electric
  6. club — a group
  7. bank — of a river
  8. shower — a meteor shower
  9. pound — to hit hard
  10. ball — a round shape
  11. cue — for pool
  12. current — of water
  13. shower — to wash
  14. tear — from crying
  15. tear — from crying
  16. cue — a signal
  17. pound — for dogs
  18. club — for golf
  19. bank — for money
  20. ball — a great time
  21. cue — a hint
  22. ball — a dance
  23. tear — to rip
  24. pound — a weight

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