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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. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  2. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  3. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  4. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  5. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  6. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  11. There's no middle ________________.
  12. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  13. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  14. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  15. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  16. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  17. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  18. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  19. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  20. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  21. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  22. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  23. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  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. current — happening now
  2. pass — a permit
  3. pass — to spend time
  4. race — the arms race
  5. shower — rain
  6. ground — crushed
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. pound — to hit hard
  9. current — of water
  10. pound — a weight
  11. ground — a position
  12. perch — the fish
  13. branch — a division
  14. shower — a meteor shower
  15. shower — to wash
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. pass — to succeed
  19. ground — the earth
  20. race — a contest
  21. current — electric
  22. pound — for dogs
  23. race — humankind
  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