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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. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  2. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  3. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  4. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  5. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  6. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  9. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  10. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  11. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  12. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  13. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  14. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  15. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  16. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  17. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  18. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  19. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  20. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  21. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  22. Don't do anything ________________.
  23. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  24. Let us try to swim against the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. bat — for baseball
  3. bat — the animal
  4. current — electric
  5. bat — in an idiom
  6. face — to point toward
  7. current — happening now
  8. prune — to trim
  9. rash — on the skin
  10. rash — a series
  11. face — part of the head
  12. bank — of a river
  13. racket — a loud noise
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. band — a music group
  16. prune — the fruit
  17. band — a ring
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. band — a rubber band
  20. face — to confront
  21. bank — for money
  22. rash — hasty
  23. prune — to trim
  24. current — of water

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