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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. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  2. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  5. There's no middle ________________.
  6. When will it ________________ you to start?
  7. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  8. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  9. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  10. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  14. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  15. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  16. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  17. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  18. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  19. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  20. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  23. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  24. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. bank — for money
  3. current — electric
  4. ground — crushed
  5. ground — a position
  6. suit — to fit
  7. ground — the earth
  8. can — a tin
  9. spring — a coil
  10. tear — from crying
  11. current — happening now
  12. can — a tin
  13. tear — from crying
  14. bank — of a river
  15. spring — of water
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. suit — in cards
  18. tear — to rip
  19. can — to be able to
  20. suit — clothes
  21. current — of water
  22. spring — the season
  23. racket — a loud noise
  24. bank — for money

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