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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. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  2. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  3. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  6. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  7. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  8. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  9. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  10. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  11. He works in a ________________ mill.
  12. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  13. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  17. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  18. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  19. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  20. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  21. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  22. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  23. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  24. Let us try to swim against the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a lid
  2. bowl — to roll
  3. branch — of a bank
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. branch — a division
  6. race — humankind
  7. bowl — a football final
  8. bark — a dog's sound
  9. race — a contest
  10. race — the arms race
  11. saw — the tool
  12. jam — in traffic
  13. cap — of ice
  14. saw — the tool
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. bark — of a tree
  17. cap — a hat
  18. current — electric
  19. current — happening now
  20. jam — a tight spot
  21. jam — to spread on bread
  22. bowl — a dish
  23. bark — to shout
  24. current — of water

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