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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. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  2. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  3. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  6. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  7. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  8. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  9. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  10. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  11. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  14. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  15. The ________________ took off on time.
  16. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. He is an ace ________________.
  19. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  20. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  21. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  22. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  23. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  24. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. branch — of a tree
  3. branch — of a bank
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. current — electric
  8. current — of water
  9. current — happening now
  10. capital — a city
  11. scale — in music
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. scale — for weighing
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. plane — an aircraft
  16. plane — a tool
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. pitcher — in baseball
  19. branch — a division
  20. plane — in geometry
  21. scale — size or range
  22. patient — calm and waiting
  23. capital — a big letter
  24. capital — money

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