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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. That was ________________ to happen.
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  5. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  8. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  9. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  12. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  13. Did you ________________ the meat?
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  16. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  17. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  19. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  20. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  23. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  24. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.

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

Answer key

  1. current — electric
  2. bound — certain
  3. current — of water
  4. fine — all right
  5. bank — for money
  6. current — happening now
  7. bank — of a river
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. bank — for money
  10. rush — hurry
  11. ruler — a monarch
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. season — to add flavour
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. jam — a tight spot
  16. fine — a penalty
  17. season — of the year
  18. fine — high quality
  19. jam — in traffic
  20. bound — obliged
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. jam — to spread on bread
  23. season — in sport
  24. bound — tied together

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