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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 King held a masked ________________.
  2. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  4. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  5. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  6. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  7. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  8. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  9. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  10. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  11. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  12. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  13. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  14. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  15. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  16. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  17. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  18. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  19. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  20. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  21. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  22. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  23. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  24. The kitten curled into a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a dance
  2. current — electric
  3. staff — employees
  4. squash — to crush
  5. current — of water
  6. staff — employees
  7. bank — for money
  8. track — a path
  9. wake — a trail
  10. staff — a stick
  11. ball — a great time
  12. fall — the season
  13. track — a song
  14. current — happening now
  15. track — to keep track
  16. squash — the sport
  17. fall — to drop
  18. wake — before a funeral
  19. fall — to drop
  20. wake — to stop sleeping
  21. bank — of a river
  22. squash — the vegetable
  23. bank — for money
  24. ball — a round shape

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