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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. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  2. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  3. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  6. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  7. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  8. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  9. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  10. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  11. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  12. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  13. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  14. He was locked up in a ________________.
  15. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  16. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  17. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  18. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  19. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  20. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  21. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  22. He is an ace ________________.
  23. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  24. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. current — happening now
  3. track — a path
  4. current — of water
  5. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  6. track — to keep track
  7. object — to protest
  8. object — a thing
  9. track — a song
  10. current — electric
  11. branch — of a bank
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. branch — of a tree
  14. cell — in a prison
  15. branch — a division
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. cell — in biology
  19. safe — a strongbox
  20. kid — to tease
  21. cell — a phone
  22. pitcher — in baseball
  23. kid — child
  24. object — an aim

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