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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. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  2. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  7. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  8. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  9. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  10. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  11. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  12. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  15. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  16. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  17. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  18. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  21. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  24. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — clever
  2. scale — in music
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. band — a music group
  5. current — happening now
  6. bank — for money
  7. deal — to handle
  8. row — a quarrel
  9. row — to paddle
  10. bank — of a river
  11. scale — size or range
  12. bank — for money
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. band — a ring
  15. deal — a big deal
  16. deal — an agreement
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. scale — for weighing
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. row — a line
  21. current — electric
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. current — of water
  24. band — a rubber band

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