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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: bank · lash · pitcher · hand · row · cue · track · current

  1. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  2. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  3. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  6. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  7. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  8. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  9. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  10. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  13. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  14. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  15. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  18. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  19. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  20. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  21. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  22. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  23. He is an ace ________________.
  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. pitcher — a jug
  2. row — to paddle
  3. row — a quarrel
  4. current — happening now
  5. bank — of a river
  6. cue — a signal
  7. bank — for money
  8. row — a line
  9. hand — in cards
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. current — electric
  12. cue — a hint
  13. hand — part of the body
  14. cue — for pool
  15. track — to keep track
  16. track — a path
  17. bank — for money
  18. track — a song
  19. lash — a whip stroke
  20. lash — to lash out
  21. lash — an eyelash
  22. hand — help
  23. pitcher — in baseball
  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