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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. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  2. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  5. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  6. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  7. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  8. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  9. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  10. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  11. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  12. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  13. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  14. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  17. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  18. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  19. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  20. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  21. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  22. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  23. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  24. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. safe — a strongbox
  3. current — electric
  4. net — after costs
  5. club — a group
  6. club — for golf
  7. wound — an injury
  8. current — of water
  9. wound — past of 'wind'
  10. bank — for money
  11. club — for dancing
  12. march — the month
  13. bank — for money
  14. wound — an injury
  15. current — happening now
  16. net — in sport
  17. craft — a handicraft
  18. craft — a skill
  19. net — for catching
  20. craft — boats
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. bank — of a river
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. march — music

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