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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. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  2. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  3. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  8. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  9. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  12. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  15. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  16. Don't do anything ________________.
  17. The King held a masked ________________.
  18. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  19. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  20. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  21. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  22. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  23. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  24. I seem to be developing a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — a practice
  2. rash — a series
  3. drill — army training
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. net — after costs
  6. branch — a division
  7. sharp — clever
  8. current — electric
  9. branch — of a bank
  10. current — of water
  11. net — in sport
  12. bowl — a dish
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. branch — of a tree
  15. bowl — a football final
  16. rash — hasty
  17. ball — a dance
  18. current — happening now
  19. ball — a great time
  20. bowl — to roll
  21. sharp — with an edge
  22. drill — the tool
  23. net — for catching
  24. rash — on the skin

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