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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: current · date · foot · drill · bank · present · mark · game

  1. That was a fun ________________.
  2. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  4. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  5. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  6. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  7. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  8. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  9. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  10. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  11. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  12. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  13. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  14. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  15. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  16. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  17. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  18. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  19. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  20. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  21. Have you settled on a ________________?
  22. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  23. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  24. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a match
  2. current — of water
  3. game — a kind of play
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. bank — of a river
  6. drill — the tool
  7. foot — a measure
  8. bank — for money
  9. present — the time now
  10. foot — part of the body
  11. game — wild animals
  12. foot — the bottom
  13. mark — to pay attention
  14. drill — army training
  15. present — there
  16. current — electric
  17. present — a gift
  18. bank — for money
  19. mark — a trace
  20. mark — a grade
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. drill — a practice
  23. current — happening now
  24. date — the fruit

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