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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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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: roll · board · bank · current · ground · pitcher · saw · stick

  1. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  2. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  5. There's no middle ________________.
  6. She's very handy with a ________________.
  7. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  8. We're on a ________________ here.
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  12. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. He works in a ________________ mill.
  19. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. He is an ace ________________.
  23. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  24. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — the earth
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. bank — for money
  5. ground — a position
  6. saw — the tool
  7. bank — for money
  8. roll — on a roll
  9. current — of water
  10. board — a committee
  11. ground — crushed
  12. bank — of a river
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. board — to get on
  16. roll — a list
  17. current — happening now
  18. saw — the tool
  19. roll — a cake
  20. current — electric
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. pitcher — in baseball
  23. saw — past of 'see'
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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