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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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Word bank
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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. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  2. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  5. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  8. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. When are we going to ________________?
  13. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  14. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  15. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  16. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  21. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  22. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  23. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  24. This looks like a gunshot ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a great time
  2. current — of water
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. fine — high quality
  5. dip — to sink
  6. ball — a dance
  7. fine — a penalty
  8. dip — to dunk
  9. current — electric
  10. charge — in control
  11. fine — all right
  12. land — to come down
  13. land — ground
  14. wound — past of 'wind'
  15. charge — electricity
  16. dip — a sauce
  17. branch — a division
  18. wound — an injury
  19. charge — a price
  20. current — happening now
  21. ball — a round shape
  22. branch — of a bank
  23. land — a country
  24. wound — an injury

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