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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 ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  3. She's very handy with a ________________.
  4. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  5. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  6. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  7. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  10. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  13. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  14. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  15. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  16. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  17. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  18. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  19. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  20. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  21. The tickets are free of ________________.
  22. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  23. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  24. You can't go backstage without a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. mine — belonging to me
  3. saw — the tool
  4. club — a group
  5. branch — a division
  6. band — a music group
  7. club — for golf
  8. saw — the tool
  9. branch — of a bank
  10. current — happening now
  11. current — electric
  12. pass — to succeed
  13. mine — an explosive
  14. charge — in control
  15. club — for dancing
  16. charge — electricity
  17. band — a ring
  18. pass — to spend time
  19. branch — of a tree
  20. mine — for digging
  21. charge — a price
  22. band — a rubber band
  23. current — of water
  24. pass — a permit

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