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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. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  2. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  3. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  4. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  5. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  6. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  9. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  10. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  11. The ________________ market has crashed.
  12. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  13. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  14. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  15. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  16. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  19. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  20. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  21. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  22. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  23. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  24. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — for digging
  2. rest — what's left
  3. rest — what's left
  4. craft — a handicraft
  5. present — the time now
  6. snap — to snap out of it
  7. current — happening now
  8. present — there
  9. mine — belonging to me
  10. current — electric
  11. stock — shares
  12. stock — goods
  13. stock — a soup base
  14. mine — an explosive
  15. snap — to speak sharply
  16. branch — of a tree
  17. branch — a division
  18. current — of water
  19. craft — a skill
  20. rest — a break
  21. present — a gift
  22. craft — boats
  23. snap — to click
  24. branch — of a bank

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