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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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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. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  2. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  4. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  8. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  13. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  16. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — on a finger
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. current — happening now
  4. bass — the instrument
  5. stand — to bear
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. bass — the fish
  8. branch — of a tree
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. branch — a division
  11. current — electric
  12. branch — of a bank
  13. mark — to pay attention
  14. current — of water
  15. stand — on your feet
  16. mark — a grade
  17. bass — low music
  18. mark — a trace

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