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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. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. Have you found your soul ________________?
  6. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  7. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  8. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  11. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  14. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  17. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  18. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  19. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  20. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  21. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  24. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. net — after costs
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  4. current — of water
  5. mate — a partner
  6. bear — to put up with
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. bear — the animal
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. kid — child
  11. net — in sport
  12. can — to be able to
  13. calf — of the leg
  14. kid — to tease
  15. current — happening now
  16. current — electric
  17. can — a tin
  18. branch — a division
  19. mate — a friend
  20. net — for catching
  21. branch — of a tree
  22. can — a tin
  23. mate — to breed
  24. bear — the animal

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