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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. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  2. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  5. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  6. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  7. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  8. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  9. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  10. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  11. The water is too ________________.
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  14. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. That was a fun ________________.
  18. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  19. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  20. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  21. Have you met the new head ________________?
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  24. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — the Cold War
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. current — electric
  4. game — wild animals
  5. bass — the instrument
  6. branch — of a tree
  7. bass — the fish
  8. foot — the bottom
  9. foot — part of the body
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. cold — not warm
  12. branch — a division
  13. game — a kind of play
  14. cold — an illness
  15. current — happening now
  16. current — of water
  17. game — a match
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. branch — of a bank
  20. racket — a loud noise
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. bass — low music
  24. foot — a measure

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