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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: current · fan · hand · nail · swing · pound · perch · bank

  1. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  2. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  3. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  4. David sat on the ________________.
  5. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  6. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  11. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  12. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  13. The ________________ went through the wall.
  14. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  18. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  19. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  20. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  21. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  24. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. hand — in cards
  3. swing — in golf
  4. swing — to play on
  5. nail — on a finger
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. current — happening now
  8. current — electric
  9. current — of water
  10. bank — of a river
  11. swing — music
  12. hand — part of the body
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. pound — a weight
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. pound — for dogs
  19. bank — for money
  20. hand — help
  21. pound — to hit hard
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. perch — the fish
  24. nail — for a hammer

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