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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: ball · club · tear · racket · bank · rule · calf · current

  1. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  2. The King held a masked ________________.
  3. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  4. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  5. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  6. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  7. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  8. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  9. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  14. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  15. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  16. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  19. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  20. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  21. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  22. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  23. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  24. He had ________________ pain while walking.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. ball — a dance
  3. bank — of a river
  4. bank — for money
  5. racket — a loud noise
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. club — a group
  8. ball — a great time
  9. tear — from crying
  10. current — of water
  11. ball — a round shape
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. club — for golf
  14. rule — government
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. rule — to rule out
  17. current — electric
  18. tear — from crying
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. tear — to rip
  21. club — for dancing
  22. rule — a law
  23. current — happening now
  24. calf — of the leg

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