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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: last · ground · current · bank · chair · roll · drill · prune

  1. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  2. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  4. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  7. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  8. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  9. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  10. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  11. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  12. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  13. We're on a ________________ here.
  14. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  15. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  16. False peace will not ________________.
  17. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  18. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  19. There's no middle ________________.
  20. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  21. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  22. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  23. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  24. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — army training
  2. current — of water
  3. last — finally
  4. drill — a practice
  5. current — happening now
  6. prune — to trim
  7. current — electric
  8. chair — a leader
  9. roll — a list
  10. prune — the fruit
  11. bank — of a river
  12. ground — the earth
  13. roll — on a roll
  14. ground — crushed
  15. bank — for money
  16. last — to go on
  17. last — final
  18. prune — to trim
  19. ground — a position
  20. chair — a professorship
  21. drill — the tool
  22. roll — a cake
  23. chair — to sit on
  24. bank — for money

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