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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. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  2. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  4. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  5. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  6. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  7. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  11. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  12. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  16. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  17. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  18. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  21. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  22. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  23. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  24. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — to pay attention
  2. current — of water
  3. drill — the tool
  4. bowl — to roll
  5. bank — for money
  6. firm — a company
  7. file — a document
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. current — electric
  10. drill — army training
  11. file — a tool
  12. bowl — a dish
  13. mark — a grade
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. file — a line of people
  16. bank — of a river
  17. firm — decided
  18. drill — a practice
  19. rush — hurry
  20. bank — for money
  21. current — happening now
  22. mark — a trace
  23. firm — steady
  24. bowl — a football final

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