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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 116 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: march · key · bank · track · firm · rush · squash · current

  1. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  2. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  3. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  7. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  8. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  11. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  12. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  13. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  14. This piece is in a major ________________.
  15. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  18. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  19. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  20. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  21. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  22. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  23. That must've been a ________________.
  24. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. current — electric
  2. squash — the vegetable
  3. firm — decided
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. rush — hurry
  6. march — the month
  7. squash — to crush
  8. bank — for money
  9. track — to keep track
  10. march — the month
  11. key — for a lock
  12. track — a song
  13. track — a path
  14. key — in music
  15. march — music
  16. current — happening now
  17. bank — of a river
  18. squash — the sport
  19. bank — for money
  20. current — of water
  21. key — the most important part
  22. firm — steady
  23. rush — a thrill
  24. firm — a company

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