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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 116 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. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  2. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  4. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  5. We're almost out of ________________.
  6. Have you found your soul ________________?
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  9. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  10. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  11. You don't need to ________________ round.
  12. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  13. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  14. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  15. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  18. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  19. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  20. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  21. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  22. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.

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

Answer key

  1. current — of water
  2. current — electric
  3. mate — a friend
  4. object — a thing
  5. pop — soda
  6. mate — a partner
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. pit — in a race
  9. pop — music
  10. branch — a division
  11. pop — to visit
  12. drill — a practice
  13. object — an aim
  14. pit — a fruit stone
  15. drill — the tool
  16. charge — a price
  17. object — to protest
  18. charge — electricity
  19. mate — to breed
  20. current — happening now
  21. pit — a hole
  22. branch — of a bank
  23. charge — in control
  24. drill — army training

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