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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. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  2. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  3. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  6. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  7. He is an ace ________________.
  8. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  9. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  12. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  13. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  14. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  18. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  19. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  20. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  21. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  24. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.

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

Answer key

  1. current — happening now
  2. board — a flat piece
  3. net — after costs
  4. current — of water
  5. branch — a division
  6. lean — thin
  7. pitcher — in baseball
  8. lean — to bend
  9. row — to paddle
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. row — a quarrel
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. net — for catching
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. current — electric
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. branch — of a tree
  18. board — a committee
  19. row — a line
  20. net — in sport
  21. board — to get on
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. lean — to rest against
  24. branch — of a bank

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