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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: bass · wound · chair · bank · current · stick · present · game

  1. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  2. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  3. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  4. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  5. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  6. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  7. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  8. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  9. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  10. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. That was a fun ________________.
  13. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  19. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  20. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  21. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  22. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  23. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  24. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. current — electric
  2. bass — the fish
  3. game — a kind of play
  4. wound — past of 'wind'
  5. bank — for money
  6. bass — low music
  7. chair — a leader
  8. present — there
  9. wound — an injury
  10. bass — the instrument
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. game — a match
  13. chair — to sit on
  14. current — of water
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. current — happening now
  18. present — the time now
  19. present — a gift
  20. game — wild animals
  21. bank — for money
  22. bank — of a river
  23. wound — an injury
  24. chair — a professorship

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