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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. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  3. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  4. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  7. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  8. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  9. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  10. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  11. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  12. When are we going to ________________?
  13. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  14. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  15. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  18. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  19. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  20. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  21. Have you met the new head ________________?
  22. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  23. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  24. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.

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

Answer key

  1. current — electric
  2. deal — to handle
  3. bank — of a river
  4. fall — to drop
  5. current — happening now
  6. chair — a professorship
  7. hand — in cards
  8. land — a country
  9. chair — to sit on
  10. deal — an agreement
  11. fall — to drop
  12. land — to come down
  13. bank — for money
  14. hand — help
  15. chair — a leader
  16. current — of water
  17. deal — a big deal
  18. bank — for money
  19. land — ground
  20. hand — part of the body
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. coach — pulled by horses
  24. fall — the season

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