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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 116 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. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  2. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  4. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  5. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  6. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  7. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  8. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  9. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  10. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  11. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  12. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  13. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  14. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  19. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  20. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  21. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  22. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  23. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  24. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a tree
  2. current — of water
  3. club — for dancing
  4. chair — a leader
  5. pit — a hole
  6. present — the time now
  7. rest — what's left
  8. content — the amount
  9. present — there
  10. content — videos and posts
  11. club — a group
  12. rest — what's left
  13. chair — a professorship
  14. content — happy
  15. current — electric
  16. rest — a break
  17. current — happening now
  18. chair — to sit on
  19. pit — a fruit stone
  20. branch — a division
  21. present — a gift
  22. branch — of a bank
  23. club — for golf
  24. pit — in a race

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