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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: march · racket · bank · wind · perch · current · drill · roll

  1. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  2. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  3. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  4. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  5. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  6. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  7. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  8. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  9. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  10. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  11. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  12. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  13. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  16. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  17. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  18. We're on a ________________ here.
  19. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  20. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  21. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  22. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  23. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  24. We had a fire ________________ at school today.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — of a river
  2. current — happening now
  3. roll — a cake
  4. racket — a loud noise
  5. march — music
  6. drill — the tool
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. wind — moving air
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. march — the month
  11. wind — to turn a key
  12. bank — for money
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. current — of water
  15. perch — the fish
  16. roll — a list
  17. march — the month
  18. roll — on a roll
  19. current — electric
  20. bank — for money
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. wind — moving air
  23. drill — army training
  24. drill — a practice

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