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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: plane · mine · pound · staff · bank · band · current · mark

  1. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  2. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  4. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  5. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  6. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  7. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  10. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  11. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  12. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  13. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  14. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  15. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  16. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  17. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  18. The ________________ took off on time.
  19. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  20. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  21. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  22. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  23. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  24. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.

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

Answer key

  1. current — of water
  2. mark — a grade
  3. bank — for money
  4. bank — of a river
  5. pound — a weight
  6. staff — employees
  7. band — a music group
  8. current — happening now
  9. plane — in geometry
  10. current — electric
  11. band — a ring
  12. pound — for dogs
  13. mine — for digging
  14. pound — to hit hard
  15. band — a rubber band
  16. staff — a stick
  17. staff — employees
  18. plane — an aircraft
  19. mark — a trace
  20. mine — an explosive
  21. bank — for money
  22. mine — belonging to me
  23. mark — to pay attention
  24. plane — a tool

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