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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: firm · land · ball · bank · current · mark · march · capital

  1. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  2. When are we going to ________________?
  3. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  4. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  5. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  6. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  7. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  8. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  11. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  12. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  13. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  14. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  15. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  16. The King held a masked ________________.
  17. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  18. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  19. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  20. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  21. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  24. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.

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

Answer key

  1. current — of water
  2. land — to come down
  3. bank — for money
  4. bank — of a river
  5. ball — a great time
  6. firm — steady
  7. bank — for money
  8. capital — a big letter
  9. current — electric
  10. ball — a round shape
  11. capital — money
  12. mark — a grade
  13. firm — decided
  14. march — the month
  15. firm — a company
  16. ball — a dance
  17. land — a country
  18. capital — a city
  19. mark — a trace
  20. march — the month
  21. land — ground
  22. current — happening now
  23. mark — to pay attention
  24. march — music

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