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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. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  2. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  6. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  7. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  8. The ________________ market has crashed.
  9. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  10. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  13. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  14. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  15. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  16. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  20. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  21. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  22. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  23. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  24. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. band — a rubber band
  3. current — of water
  4. track — a path
  5. track — to keep track
  6. bear — the animal
  7. bank — for money
  8. stock — shares
  9. wind — to turn a key
  10. bear — to put up with
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. bank — for money
  13. bank — of a river
  14. stock — a soup base
  15. nail — on a finger
  16. band — a ring
  17. track — a song
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. current — electric
  20. current — happening now
  21. stock — goods
  22. wind — moving air
  23. band — a music group
  24. wind — moving air

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