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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: march · jam · current · bound · bowl · shower · bank · race

  1. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  2. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  3. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  4. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  5. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  6. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  7. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  8. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  9. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  10. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  11. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  12. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  13. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  14. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  19. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  20. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  21. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  22. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  23. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  24. That was ________________ to happen.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. jam — to spread on bread
  3. bound — tied together
  4. march — the month
  5. march — music
  6. bank — of a river
  7. bowl — a football final
  8. jam — in traffic
  9. race — humankind
  10. race — a contest
  11. shower — rain
  12. bound — obliged
  13. current — of water
  14. shower — to wash
  15. current — electric
  16. bowl — a dish
  17. current — happening now
  18. jam — a tight spot
  19. bank — for money
  20. bowl — to roll
  21. race — the arms race
  22. march — the month
  23. shower — a meteor shower
  24. bound — certain

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