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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: roll · band · bank · mine · foot · bark · fine · current

  1. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  2. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  5. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  8. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  9. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  10. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  11. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  12. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  13. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  14. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  15. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  16. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  17. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  18. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  19. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  20. We're on a ________________ here.
  21. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  22. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  23. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  24. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — for digging
  2. fine — all right
  3. current — electric
  4. fine — a penalty
  5. bark — to shout
  6. current — happening now
  7. band — a rubber band
  8. band — a music group
  9. roll — a cake
  10. band — a ring
  11. mine — belonging to me
  12. foot — part of the body
  13. bank — of a river
  14. roll — a list
  15. foot — the bottom
  16. bank — for money
  17. current — of water
  18. foot — a measure
  19. mine — an explosive
  20. roll — on a roll
  21. bark — of a tree
  22. fine — high quality
  23. bark — a dog's sound
  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