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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. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  2. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  5. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  6. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  7. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  8. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  9. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  10. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  11. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  12. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  13. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  14. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  15. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  18. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  19. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  20. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  21. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  22. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  23. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  24. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. march — the month
  3. current — of water
  4. march — music
  5. current — electric
  6. wake — to stop sleeping
  7. club — a group
  8. degree — an amount
  9. wake — before a funeral
  10. bank — for money
  11. march — the month
  12. degree — from a university
  13. club — for dancing
  14. safe — a strongbox
  15. fork — in a road
  16. wake — a trail
  17. club — for golf
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. fork — a garden tool
  20. degree — temperature
  21. fork — to eat with
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. bank — of a river
  24. current — happening now

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