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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. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  2. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  5. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  9. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  10. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  11. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  12. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  13. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  14. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  15. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  16. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  19. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  20. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  21. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  24. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. current — of water
  3. track — a song
  4. bank — for money
  5. kid — child
  6. current — happening now
  7. mark — a grade
  8. bat — in an idiom
  9. shower — a meteor shower
  10. bat — for baseball
  11. mark — a trace
  12. deal — a big deal
  13. shower — rain
  14. mark — to pay attention
  15. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  16. deal — to handle
  17. track — a path
  18. deal — an agreement
  19. shower — to wash
  20. kid — to tease
  21. bat — the animal
  22. current — electric
  23. track — to keep track
  24. bank — of a river

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