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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: suit · current · bank · wake · race · rule · row · bat

  1. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  2. When will it ________________ you to start?
  3. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  4. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  5. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  6. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  7. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  10. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  11. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  14. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  17. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  18. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  19. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  20. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  21. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  22. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  23. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  24. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. current — happening now
  2. suit — to fit
  3. bank — for money
  4. current — electric
  5. row — to paddle
  6. rule — a law
  7. rule — government
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. bank — of a river
  10. row — a line
  11. race — the arms race
  12. current — of water
  13. bat — for baseball
  14. race — a contest
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. bat — in an idiom
  17. race — humankind
  18. suit — clothes
  19. wake — a trail
  20. rule — to rule out
  21. bat — the animal
  22. bank — for money
  23. row — a quarrel
  24. suit — in cards

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