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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. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  2. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  5. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  6. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  13. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  14. Have you found your soul ________________?
  15. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  16. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  17. That was a fun ________________.
  18. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  19. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  20. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  21. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  22. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  24. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.

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

Answer key

  1. current — happening now
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. current — electric
  5. bank — for money
  6. bank — for money
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. bank — of a river
  9. current — of water
  10. saw — the tool
  11. saw — the tool
  12. object — to protest
  13. object — a thing
  14. mate — a partner
  15. game — wild animals
  16. bat — the animal
  17. game — a match
  18. object — an aim
  19. bat — in an idiom
  20. mate — a friend
  21. bat — for baseball
  22. mate — to breed
  23. rush — hurry
  24. game — a kind of play

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