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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. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  4. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  5. False peace will not ________________.
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  8. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  9. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  10. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  11. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  12. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  13. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  14. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  15. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  16. Where did you ________________ them?
  17. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  18. That was a fun ________________.
  19. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  20. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  21. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  22. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  23. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  24. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a face
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. last — final
  4. fork — in a road
  5. last — to go on
  6. branch — a division
  7. current — electric
  8. fork — a garden tool
  9. toast — the most admired
  10. mine — belonging to me
  11. game — wild animals
  12. mine — an explosive
  13. fork — to eat with
  14. toast — a drink to someone
  15. last — finally
  16. mug — to rob
  17. branch — of a tree
  18. game — a match
  19. game — a kind of play
  20. mug — a cup
  21. toast — bread
  22. current — of water
  23. mine — for digging
  24. current — happening now

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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