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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 116 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 · spring · current · track · face · pop · pitcher · racket

  1. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  2. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  3. We're almost out of ________________.
  4. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  5. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  6. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  7. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  8. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  9. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  12. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  15. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  16. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  19. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  20. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  21. You don't need to ________________ round.
  22. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  23. He is an ace ________________.
  24. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.

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

Answer key

  1. face — part of the head
  2. face — to point toward
  3. pop — soda
  4. bank — for money
  5. face — to confront
  6. bank — of a river
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. spring — the season
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. current — of water
  11. racket — a loud noise
  12. bank — for money
  13. current — happening now
  14. spring — of water
  15. track — a song
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. track — to keep track
  18. current — electric
  19. spring — a coil
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. pop — to visit
  22. track — a path
  23. pitcher — in baseball
  24. pop — music

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