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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: rash · straw · content · saw · current · pitcher · bank · season

  1. Did you ________________ the meat?
  2. Don't do anything ________________.
  3. He works in a ________________ mill.
  4. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  5. He is an ace ________________.
  6. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  7. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  11. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  12. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  13. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  14. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  15. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  16. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  17. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  18. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  19. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  20. She's very handy with a ________________.
  21. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  22. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  23. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  24. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. season — to add flavour
  2. rash — hasty
  3. saw — the tool
  4. straw — a straw man
  5. pitcher — in baseball
  6. content — videos and posts
  7. bank — for money
  8. current — happening now
  9. current — of water
  10. season — of the year
  11. bank — of a river
  12. straw — to clutch at straws
  13. current — electric
  14. bank — for money
  15. rash — a series
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. saw — past of 'see'
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. content — the amount
  20. saw — the tool
  21. rash — on the skin
  22. season — in sport
  23. straw — dry grass
  24. content — happy

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