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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: spell · drill · racket · bank · rush · mine · current · bowl

  1. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  2. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  3. How do you ________________ your surname?
  4. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  5. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  6. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  7. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  8. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  12. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  13. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  14. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  19. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  20. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  23. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  24. We had a fire ________________ at school today.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — of a river
  2. spell — magic
  3. spell — letters
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. mine — an explosive
  6. bank — for money
  7. bank — for money
  8. bowl — to roll
  9. current — of water
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. spell — a short time
  12. mine — belonging to me
  13. drill — the tool
  14. current — happening now
  15. current — electric
  16. mine — for digging
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. drill — army training
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. bowl — a dish
  21. rush — hurry
  22. racket — a loud noise
  23. bowl — a football final
  24. drill — a practice

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