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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.

Make a worksheet

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 · bank · object · pass · toast · march · cold · stick

  1. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  2. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  3. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  4. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  5. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  6. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  12. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  13. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  14. The water is too ________________.
  15. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  16. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  17. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  18. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  19. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  20. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  21. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  22. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  23. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  24. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.

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

Answer key

  1. current — of water
  2. pass — to spend time
  3. pass — to succeed
  4. toast — the most admired
  5. current — electric
  6. march — the month
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. object — an aim
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. cold — the Cold War
  12. toast — a drink to someone
  13. pass — a permit
  14. cold — not warm
  15. object — a thing
  16. toast — bread
  17. bank — for money
  18. march — music
  19. bank — of a river
  20. march — the month
  21. object — to protest
  22. bank — for money
  23. current — happening now
  24. cold — an illness

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