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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 120 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 · bass · ruler · current · game · rash · charge · bank

  1. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  2. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  3. That was a fun ________________.
  4. When will it ________________ you to start?
  5. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  6. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  7. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  8. The tickets are free of ________________.
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  11. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  12. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  13. Don't do anything ________________.
  14. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  17. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  20. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  21. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  22. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  23. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  24. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. current — happening now
  2. bank — for money
  3. game — a match
  4. suit — to fit
  5. bank — of a river
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. charge — a price
  9. charge — electricity
  10. suit — clothes
  11. ruler — a monarch
  12. rash — a series
  13. rash — hasty
  14. bank — for money
  15. current — of water
  16. bass — the instrument
  17. bass — the fish
  18. charge — in control
  19. rash — on the skin
  20. bass — low music
  21. suit — in cards
  22. game — a kind of play
  23. current — electric
  24. game — wild animals

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