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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 116 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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  2. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  3. There's no middle ________________.
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  6. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  9. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  10. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  13. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  14. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  15. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  16. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — crushed
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. ground — a position
  4. lie — to recline
  5. chip — in a computer
  6. chip — to eat
  7. current — of water
  8. band — a ring
  9. band — a rubber band
  10. chip — for betting
  11. current — electric
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. branch — of a tree
  14. band — a music group
  15. branch — a division
  16. ground — the earth
  17. current — happening now
  18. branch — of a bank

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