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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. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  2. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. False peace will not ________________.
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  6. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  7. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  8. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  11. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  14. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  15. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  16. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  19. The King held a masked ________________.
  20. I'll be taking the ________________.
  21. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  22. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  23. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  24. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. net — in sport
  2. current — electric
  3. last — to go on
  4. net — for catching
  5. last — finally
  6. tube — a container
  7. fork — to eat with
  8. fork — a garden tool
  9. current — of water
  10. tube — in a tire
  11. mouse — for a computer
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. branch — a division
  14. fork — in a road
  15. ball — a great time
  16. branch — of a bank
  17. current — happening now
  18. branch — of a tree
  19. ball — a dance
  20. tube — the underground
  21. net — after costs
  22. last — final
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. mouse — the animal

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