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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 120 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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: rest · stick · land · current · ground · bank · bulb · board

  1. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  2. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  5. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  6. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  7. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  8. There's no middle ________________.
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. When are we going to ________________?
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  15. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  20. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  21. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  22. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  23. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  24. The light ________________ burned out.

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

Answer key

  1. current — happening now
  2. bank — for money
  3. current — electric
  4. land — a country
  5. bank — of a river
  6. ground — crushed
  7. rest — what's left
  8. ground — a position
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. land — to come down
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. board — to get on
  13. board — a committee
  14. land — ground
  15. ground — the earth
  16. bulb — for light
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. bank — for money
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. rest — a break
  22. current — of water
  23. rest — what's left
  24. bulb — for light

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