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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. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  2. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  5. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  6. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  9. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  10. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  11. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  12. Where did you ________________ them?
  13. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  14. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  15. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  16. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  17. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  18. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  21. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  22. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — in music
  2. branch — of a tree
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. branch — of a bank
  5. bore — to tire
  6. current — electric
  7. current — of water
  8. chest — of your body
  9. scale — for weighing
  10. chest — of your body
  11. mug — a face
  12. mug — to rob
  13. bore — to drill
  14. mug — a cup
  15. chest — a box
  16. scale — size or range
  17. band — a music group
  18. band — a ring
  19. bulb — for light
  20. band — a rubber band
  21. current — happening now
  22. bore — gave birth
  23. bulb — for light
  24. branch — a division

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