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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. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  2. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  5. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  6. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  7. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  12. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  13. We're on a ________________ here.
  14. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  15. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  18. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  19. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  20. When are we going to ________________?
  21. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  22. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  23. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  24. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a grade
  2. row — a quarrel
  3. mark — a trace
  4. chair — to sit on
  5. toast — a drink to someone
  6. branch — of a tree
  7. chair — a leader
  8. branch — a division
  9. roll — a cake
  10. current — of water
  11. land — a country
  12. row — a line
  13. roll — on a roll
  14. mark — to pay attention
  15. chair — a professorship
  16. current — happening now
  17. toast — the most admired
  18. toast — bread
  19. land — ground
  20. land — to come down
  21. current — electric
  22. branch — of a bank
  23. roll — a list
  24. row — to paddle

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