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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. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  2. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  3. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  4. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  5. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  6. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. Don't do anything ________________.
  9. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  10. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  11. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  14. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  15. There's no middle ________________.
  16. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  17. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  18. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  19. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  20. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  23. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  24. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — crushed
  2. current — happening now
  3. pound — for dogs
  4. scale — in music
  5. current — electric
  6. branch — of a bank
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. rash — hasty
  9. rule — to rule out
  10. rule — a law
  11. scale — size or range
  12. branch — a division
  13. pound — to hit hard
  14. jam — a tight spot
  15. ground — a position
  16. jam — to spread on bread
  17. jam — in traffic
  18. rule — government
  19. ground — the earth
  20. pound — a weight
  21. current — of water
  22. rash — on the skin
  23. scale — for weighing
  24. rash — a series

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