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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. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  2. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  3. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  4. Did you ________________ the meat?
  5. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  6. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  7. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  8. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  9. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  10. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  11. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  12. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  13. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  14. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  15. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  18. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  19. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  20. The water is too ________________.
  21. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  22. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  23. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  24. The King held a masked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. chair — a professorship
  3. bank — of a river
  4. season — to add flavour
  5. pound — a weight
  6. current — electric
  7. chair — a leader
  8. current — of water
  9. bank — for money
  10. chair — to sit on
  11. snap — to speak sharply
  12. snap — to snap out of it
  13. cold — the Cold War
  14. pound — to hit hard
  15. ball — a great time
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. pound — for dogs
  18. season — in sport
  19. current — happening now
  20. cold — not warm
  21. snap — to click
  22. cold — an illness
  23. season — of the year
  24. ball — a dance

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