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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 120 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. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  2. The ________________ market has crashed.
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  5. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  6. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  11. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  12. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  13. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  14. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  15. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. Where did you ________________ them?
  18. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  19. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  20. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  21. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  22. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  23. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  24. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. stock — shares
  3. current — of water
  4. current — electric
  5. branch — a division
  6. mug — a cup
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. mug — a face
  9. tube — the underground
  10. shower — rain
  11. spring — a coil
  12. shower — a meteor shower
  13. spring — of water
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. tube — a container
  16. current — happening now
  17. mug — to rob
  18. spring — the season
  19. stock — a soup base
  20. shower — to wash
  21. stock — goods
  22. mouse — for a computer
  23. tube — in a tire
  24. branch — of a bank

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