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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. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  2. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  3. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  4. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  5. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  6. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  9. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  14. My father caught me by the ________________.
  15. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  16. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  17. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  18. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  19. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  20. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  21. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  22. Don't do anything ________________.
  23. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  24. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a football final
  2. current — happening now
  3. net — after costs
  4. rash — on the skin
  5. net — in sport
  6. track — a song
  7. track — to keep track
  8. rash — a series
  9. branch — of a tree
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. current — electric
  12. current — of water
  13. shower — to wash
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. shower — a meteor shower
  16. shower — rain
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. bowl — a dish
  19. branch — a division
  20. bowl — to roll
  21. track — a path
  22. rash — hasty
  23. net — for catching
  24. arm — a part of something

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