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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. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  2. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  3. It's one o'clock ________________.
  4. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  7. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. When will it ________________ you to start?
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  12. There's no middle ________________.
  13. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  14. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  15. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  19. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  20. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. The ________________ went through the wall.
  23. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  24. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — crushed
  2. ground — the earth
  3. sharp — exactly
  4. suit — clothes
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. sharp — with an edge
  7. current — electric
  8. branch — a division
  9. suit — to fit
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. bat — for baseball
  12. ground — a position
  13. suit — in cards
  14. sharp — clever
  15. prune — the fruit
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. current — happening now
  18. prune — to trim
  19. bat — in an idiom
  20. bat — the animal
  21. current — of water
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. prune — to trim
  24. branch — of a tree

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