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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: dip · bank · content · racket · pound · race · trunk · current

  1. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  2. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  3. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  4. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  5. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  6. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  7. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  8. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  9. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  10. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  11. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  12. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  13. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  14. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  15. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  16. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  17. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  18. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  19. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  20. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  21. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  22. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  23. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  24. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. trunk — of a tree
  4. pound — to hit hard
  5. bank — of a river
  6. dip — a sauce
  7. pound — a weight
  8. dip — to dunk
  9. race — a contest
  10. trunk — of a car
  11. racket — a loud noise
  12. content — happy
  13. current — of water
  14. race — the arms race
  15. content — videos and posts
  16. current — electric
  17. bank — for money
  18. race — humankind
  19. pound — for dogs
  20. dip — to sink
  21. content — the amount
  22. trunk — of an elephant
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. current — happening now

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