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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. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  4. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  5. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  6. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  12. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  13. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  16. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  17. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  18. There's no middle ________________.
  19. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  20. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  21. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  22. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  23. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  24. I'll be taking the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — belonging to me
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. ground — crushed
  4. stem — to come from
  5. rule — government
  6. mine — an explosive
  7. current — happening now
  8. mine — for digging
  9. current — electric
  10. tube — a container
  11. current — of water
  12. tube — in a tire
  13. fine — a penalty
  14. branch — a division
  15. ground — the earth
  16. branch — of a tree
  17. fine — high quality
  18. ground — a position
  19. rule — to rule out
  20. rule — a law
  21. fine — all right
  22. stem — of a plant
  23. stem — a stem cell
  24. tube — the underground

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