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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 120 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. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  2. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  5. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  6. It's one o'clock ________________.
  7. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  8. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  11. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  12. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  13. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  14. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  15. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  18. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  19. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  20. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  21. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  22. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  23. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  24. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.

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

Answer key

  1. current — of water
  2. row — a quarrel
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. object — to protest
  5. current — electric
  6. sharp — exactly
  7. club — a group
  8. bank — of a river
  9. track — to keep track
  10. club — for golf
  11. sharp — clever
  12. shower — rain
  13. bank — for money
  14. shower — a meteor shower
  15. row — a line
  16. track — a path
  17. shower — to wash
  18. track — a song
  19. current — happening now
  20. bank — for money
  21. club — for dancing
  22. row — to paddle
  23. object — an aim
  24. object — a thing

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