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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 116 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. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  2. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  3. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  4. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  5. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  6. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  7. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  8. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  9. Don't do anything ________________.
  10. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  11. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  12. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  13. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  14. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  15. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  16. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  17. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  18. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  19. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  20. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  21. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  22. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  23. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  24. Let us try to swim against the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — of a river
  2. bowl — to roll
  3. bank — for money
  4. bowl — a dish
  5. deal — to handle
  6. deal — a big deal
  7. branch — of a bank
  8. clip — a video
  9. rash — hasty
  10. branch — a division
  11. bank — for money
  12. branch — of a tree
  13. deal — an agreement
  14. clip — for paper
  15. club — for dancing
  16. bowl — a football final
  17. rash — on the skin
  18. rash — a series
  19. club — for golf
  20. current — happening now
  21. current — electric
  22. clip — to cut
  23. club — a group
  24. current — of water

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