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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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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: hand · racket · ground · current · coach · firm · bank · content

  1. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  2. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  4. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  5. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  8. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  9. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  10. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  11. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  12. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  13. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  14. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  15. There's no middle ________________.
  16. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  21. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  22. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  23. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  24. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. content — the amount
  2. current — of water
  3. content — videos and posts
  4. bank — for money
  5. firm — steady
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. hand — in cards
  8. content — happy
  9. coach — pulled by horses
  10. ground — crushed
  11. firm — decided
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. bank — for money
  14. bank — of a river
  15. ground — a position
  16. hand — help
  17. current — happening now
  18. racket — a loud noise
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. current — electric
  22. hand — part of the body
  23. ground — the earth
  24. firm — a company

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