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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 116 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
468
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: spell · pitcher · present · march · hide · bank · ball · current

  1. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  2. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  4. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  5. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  6. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  7. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  8. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. He is an ace ________________.
  11. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  12. The King held a masked ________________.
  13. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  14. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  15. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  19. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  20. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  21. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  22. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  23. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  24. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. present — a gift
  2. current — of water
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. present — the time now
  5. march — the month
  6. spell — a short time
  7. hide — animal skin
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. pitcher — in baseball
  11. spell — magic
  12. ball — a dance
  13. ball — a round shape
  14. present — there
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. ball — a great time
  17. spell — letters
  18. current — electric
  19. bank — for money
  20. march — music
  21. current — happening now
  22. bank — for money
  23. march — the month
  24. bank — of a river

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