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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. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  4. He is an ace ________________.
  5. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  6. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  7. I can't ________________ this cold.
  8. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  9. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  10. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  11. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  12. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  13. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  14. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  19. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  22. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  23. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  24. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — in a road
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. fork — a garden tool
  4. pitcher — in baseball
  5. current — of water
  6. chair — a leader
  7. stand — to bear
  8. chair — to sit on
  9. branch — a division
  10. pit — in a race
  11. stand — on your feet
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. drill — a practice
  14. fork — to eat with
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. drill — the tool
  17. current — happening now
  18. stand — for spectators
  19. pit — a fruit stone
  20. current — electric
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. pit — a hole
  23. chair — a professorship
  24. drill — army training

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