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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. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  2. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  3. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  4. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  5. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  6. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  7. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  8. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  9. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  10. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  11. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  14. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. The King held a masked ________________.
  17. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  18. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  19. He is an ace ________________.
  20. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  21. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  22. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  23. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  24. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?

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

Answer key

  1. rock — music
  2. rule — to rule out
  3. dip — to dunk
  4. ball — a great time
  5. stem — of a plant
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. ball — a round shape
  8. rock — a stone
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. branch — of a tree
  11. rule — a law
  12. current — electric
  13. rock — to move gently
  14. stem — a stem cell
  15. current — happening now
  16. ball — a dance
  17. stem — to come from
  18. current — of water
  19. pitcher — in baseball
  20. branch — of a bank
  21. dip — a sauce
  22. branch — a division
  23. dip — to sink
  24. rule — government

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