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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: bank · stick · wave · current · bowl · net · dip · drill

  1. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  2. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  3. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  4. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  5. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  6. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  9. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  10. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  14. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  15. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  16. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  17. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  18. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  19. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  20. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  21. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  22. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  23. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  24. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. current — of water
  2. bowl — to roll
  3. wave — a sudden rise
  4. bank — of a river
  5. drill — the tool
  6. bowl — a football final
  7. current — happening now
  8. bank — for money
  9. net — after costs
  10. drill — army training
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. bank — for money
  14. wave — of the sea
  15. net — in sport
  16. bowl — a dish
  17. dip — a sauce
  18. wave — with your hand
  19. dip — to dunk
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. dip — to sink
  22. net — for catching
  23. drill — a practice
  24. current — electric

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