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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. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  2. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  5. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  6. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  7. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  8. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  9. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  10. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  13. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  14. It's one o'clock ________________.
  15. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  16. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  17. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. When will it ________________ you to start?
  20. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  21. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  22. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  23. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  24. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.

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

Answer key

  1. current — electric
  2. pit — a fruit stone
  3. current — of water
  4. suit — clothes
  5. suit — in cards
  6. pit — a hole
  7. straw — to clutch at straws
  8. pit — in a race
  9. bank — of a river
  10. hand — in cards
  11. current — happening now
  12. straw — dry grass
  13. deal — to handle
  14. sharp — exactly
  15. hand — help
  16. deal — a big deal
  17. straw — a straw man
  18. sharp — clever
  19. suit — to fit
  20. bank — for money
  21. hand — part of the body
  22. sharp — with an edge
  23. bank — for money
  24. deal — an agreement

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