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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. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  2. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. She's very handy with a ________________.
  5. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  6. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  7. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  8. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  9. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  10. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  11. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  17. When are we going to ________________?
  18. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  19. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  20. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  21. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  22. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  23. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  24. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a tree
  2. racket — a loud noise
  3. ball — a dance
  4. saw — the tool
  5. ball — a great time
  6. capital — money
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. land — a country
  9. current — happening now
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. capital — a big letter
  12. current — electric
  13. current — of water
  14. saw — the tool
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. land — to come down
  18. branch — of a bank
  19. capital — a city
  20. fan — to cool the air
  21. branch — a division
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. saw — past of 'see'
  24. land — ground

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