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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: row · pitcher · wave · drill · bay · bat · temple · current

  1. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  2. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  3. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  6. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  7. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  8. He is an ace ________________.
  9. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  10. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  11. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  12. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  13. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  14. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  15. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  16. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  17. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  18. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  19. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  20. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  21. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  22. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  23. When was this ________________ built?
  24. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — army training
  2. bat — for baseball
  3. wave — of the sea
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. current — of water
  6. current — electric
  7. row — a quarrel
  8. pitcher — in baseball
  9. bay — to keep at bay
  10. wave — with your hand
  11. row — to paddle
  12. drill — a practice
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. bat — in an idiom
  15. row — a line
  16. bay — a part of the sea
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. wave — a sudden rise
  19. bat — the animal
  20. drill — the tool
  21. temple — side of the head
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. current — happening now

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