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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. That was a fun ________________.
  2. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  3. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  4. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  5. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  6. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  9. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  10. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  11. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  12. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  15. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  16. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  17. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  20. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  21. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  24. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a match
  2. branch — of a tree
  3. dip — to sink
  4. degree — an amount
  5. game — wild animals
  6. current — of water
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. game — a kind of play
  9. dip — to dunk
  10. current — electric
  11. branch — of a bank
  12. pit — a fruit stone
  13. current — happening now
  14. pit — in a race
  15. dip — a sauce
  16. march — the month
  17. degree — temperature
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. pit — a hole
  20. degree — from a university
  21. march — the month
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. branch — a division
  24. march — music

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