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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: roll · fine · current · craft · march · hand · rash · pound

  1. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. We're on a ________________ here.
  3. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  4. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  5. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  6. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  7. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  8. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  9. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  12. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  13. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  14. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  17. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  18. Don't do anything ________________.
  19. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  20. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  21. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  22. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  23. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  24. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — high quality
  2. roll — on a roll
  3. fine — a penalty
  4. craft — boats
  5. roll — a list
  6. fine — all right
  7. roll — a cake
  8. current — electric
  9. craft — a skill
  10. current — of water
  11. pound — for dogs
  12. craft — a handicraft
  13. march — the month
  14. hand — in cards
  15. current — happening now
  16. march — music
  17. hand — help
  18. rash — hasty
  19. pound — to hit hard
  20. rash — on the skin
  21. march — the month
  22. hand — part of the body
  23. rash — a series
  24. pound — a weight

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