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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. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  2. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  3. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  6. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  7. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  8. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  9. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  10. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  11. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  12. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  13. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  14. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  17. Have you met the new head ________________?
  18. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  19. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  20. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  21. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  22. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  23. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  24. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. current — electric
  2. dip — a sauce
  3. prune — to trim
  4. current — happening now
  5. content — happy
  6. band — a music group
  7. branch — of a bank
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. content — the amount
  10. content — videos and posts
  11. mouse — for a computer
  12. prune — to trim
  13. dip — to sink
  14. prune — the fruit
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. dip — to dunk
  19. band — a rubber band
  20. branch — a division
  21. band — a ring
  22. branch — of a tree
  23. current — of water
  24. mouse — the animal

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