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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: can · wave · current · bank · march · tube · straw · court

  1. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  2. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  3. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  4. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  5. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  8. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  9. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  10. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  11. The ball is in your ________________.
  12. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  13. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  14. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  15. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  16. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  17. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  18. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  21. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  22. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  23. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  24. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — of the sea
  2. straw — a straw man
  3. court — of a king
  4. march — music
  5. current — of water
  6. tube — the underground
  7. wave — with your hand
  8. current — electric
  9. bank — for money
  10. current — happening now
  11. court — for sport
  12. tube — a container
  13. march — the month
  14. tube — in a tire
  15. march — the month
  16. court — of law
  17. can — a tin
  18. bank — of a river
  19. can — a tin
  20. straw — to clutch at straws
  21. can — to be able to
  22. bank — for money
  23. wave — a sudden rise
  24. straw — dry grass

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