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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's quite ________________, isn't he?
  2. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  5. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  6. It's one o'clock ________________.
  7. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  8. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  11. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  14. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. Have you found your soul ________________?
  19. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  20. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  21. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  24. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — clever
  2. mate — a friend
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. vault — in gymnastics
  5. tube — in a tire
  6. sharp — exactly
  7. branch — of a bank
  8. net — in sport
  9. tube — the underground
  10. current — electric
  11. branch — a division
  12. mate — to breed
  13. bowl — a dish
  14. vault — an arched ceiling
  15. current — of water
  16. vault — a safe
  17. tube — a container
  18. mate — a partner
  19. bowl — to roll
  20. net — after costs
  21. net — for catching
  22. current — happening now
  23. sharp — with an edge
  24. bowl — a football final

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