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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. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  2. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  3. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  4. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  5. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  6. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  7. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  8. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  9. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  10. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  11. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  14. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  17. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  18. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  19. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  20. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  21. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  22. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  23. Have you met the new head ________________?
  24. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a tree
  2. pit — in a race
  3. branch — a division
  4. pit — a fruit stone
  5. spring — the season
  6. shower — rain
  7. shower — a meteor shower
  8. cap — a hat
  9. spring — a coil
  10. shower — to wash
  11. cap — of ice
  12. current — electric
  13. pit — a hole
  14. club — for golf
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. cap — a lid
  17. club — a group
  18. branch — of a bank
  19. current — happening now
  20. current — of water
  21. coach — pulled by horses
  22. spring — of water
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. club — for dancing

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