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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. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  2. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  3. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  4. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  5. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  6. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  7. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  8. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  9. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  10. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  11. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  12. The King held a masked ________________.
  13. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  14. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  17. I'll be taking the ________________.
  18. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  19. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  20. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  21. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  22. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  23. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  24. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a tree
  2. tube — a container
  3. current — happening now
  4. pitch — completely
  5. kick — a thrill
  6. ball — a round shape
  7. hand — in cards
  8. drill — army training
  9. hand — part of the body
  10. drill — the tool
  11. tube — in a tire
  12. ball — a dance
  13. branch — a division
  14. pitch — a sales talk
  15. current — of water
  16. kick — with a leg
  17. tube — the underground
  18. kick — in football
  19. hand — help
  20. branch — of a bank
  21. ball — a great time
  22. pitch — a sports field
  23. drill — a practice
  24. current — electric

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