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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: net · ground · bay · bank · season · mine · current · cap

  1. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  2. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  3. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  4. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  8. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  9. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  10. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  11. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  12. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  13. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  16. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  17. There's no middle ________________.
  18. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  19. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  20. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  21. My mare is ________________ in color.
  22. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  23. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  24. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.

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

Answer key

  1. current — of water
  2. mine — for digging
  3. bank — for money
  4. cap — a hat
  5. current — happening now
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. cap — of ice
  8. net — for catching
  9. bank — of a river
  10. net — after costs
  11. mine — belonging to me
  12. ground — crushed
  13. current — electric
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. mine — an explosive
  16. cap — a lid
  17. ground — a position
  18. bay — to keep at bay
  19. season — in sport
  20. bank — for money
  21. bay — a horse colour
  22. net — in sport
  23. season — of the year
  24. ground — the earth

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