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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: sharp · clip · cabinet · club · ground · bank · current · plane

  1. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  2. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. There's no middle ________________.
  4. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  5. It's one o'clock ________________.
  6. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  7. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  8. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  9. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  10. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  11. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  12. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  13. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  14. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  15. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  16. The ________________ took off on time.
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  19. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  20. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  24. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. ground — a position
  4. bank — for money
  5. sharp — exactly
  6. current — electric
  7. club — for dancing
  8. plane — a tool
  9. club — for golf
  10. plane — in geometry
  11. bank — of a river
  12. ground — crushed
  13. sharp — clever
  14. ground — the earth
  15. clip — a video
  16. plane — an aircraft
  17. current — happening now
  18. sharp — with an edge
  19. club — a group
  20. clip — to cut
  21. current — of water
  22. clip — for paper
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. cabinet — a cupboard

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