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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 120 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. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  2. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  3. We're almost out of ________________.
  4. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  5. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  6. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  7. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  8. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  9. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  10. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  11. You don't need to ________________ round.
  12. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  13. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  14. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  15. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  16. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  17. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  18. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  19. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  20. The King held a masked ________________.
  21. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  22. This piece is in a major ________________.
  23. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  24. Hard work is the ________________ to success.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a great time
  2. current — happening now
  3. pop — soda
  4. snap — to speak sharply
  5. cap — a lid
  6. branch — of a tree
  7. cap — of ice
  8. snap — to snap out of it
  9. branch — a division
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. pop — to visit
  12. patient — calm and waiting
  13. ball — a round shape
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. pop — music
  16. current — electric
  17. current — of water
  18. snap — to click
  19. branch — of a bank
  20. ball — a dance
  21. cap — a hat
  22. key — in music
  23. key — for a lock
  24. key — the most important part

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