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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. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  2. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. I'll be taking the ________________.
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  6. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  7. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  8. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  9. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  10. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  11. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  12. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  13. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  18. He is an ace ________________.
  19. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  20. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  21. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  24. The polar ice ________________ is melting.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — a division
  2. current — of water
  3. tube — the underground
  4. key — in music
  5. drill — the tool
  6. branch — of a tree
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. branch — of a bank
  9. tube — a container
  10. cap — a lid
  11. cap — a hat
  12. drill — army training
  13. present — the time now
  14. key — for a lock
  15. present — there
  16. current — happening now
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. pitcher — in baseball
  19. present — a gift
  20. tube — in a tire
  21. key — the most important part
  22. current — electric
  23. drill — a practice
  24. cap — of ice

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