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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. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  2. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  3. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  6. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  7. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. The ball is in your ________________.
  10. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  11. He is an ace ________________.
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  16. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  19. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  20. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  21. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  22. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  23. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  24. Fill up this ________________ with water.

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

Answer key

  1. current — happening now
  2. pound — a weight
  3. pound — to hit hard
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. branch — of a tree
  7. current — electric
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. court — for sport
  10. branch — a division
  11. pitcher — in baseball
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. branch — of a bank
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. kid — child
  16. pound — for dogs
  17. rock — music
  18. court — of law
  19. court — of a king
  20. kid — to tease
  21. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  22. rock — a stone
  23. current — of water
  24. pitcher — a jug

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