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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: current · rush · march · snap · safe · mark · object · ball

  1. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  2. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  3. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  4. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  5. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  8. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  9. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  10. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  11. The King held a masked ________________.
  12. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  18. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  19. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  20. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  23. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  24. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.

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

Answer key

  1. current — of water
  2. object — a thing
  3. current — happening now
  4. mark — to pay attention
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. object — an aim
  8. ball — a round shape
  9. march — the month
  10. march — music
  11. ball — a dance
  12. object — to protest
  13. rush — hurry
  14. current — electric
  15. snap — to click
  16. ball — a great time
  17. snap — to speak sharply
  18. march — the month
  19. mark — a trace
  20. mark — a grade
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. safe — a strongbox
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. snap — to snap out of it

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