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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 120 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. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  2. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. He is an ace ________________.
  5. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  6. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  9. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  10. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  11. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  14. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  17. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  18. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  19. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  20. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  24. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the instrument
  2. stem — a stem cell
  3. current — of water
  4. pitcher — in baseball
  5. chest — of your body
  6. bass — low music
  7. current — happening now
  8. chest — a box
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. chest — of your body
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. branch — a division
  13. stem — to come from
  14. branch — of a tree
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. branch — of a bank
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. current — electric
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. mouse — for a computer
  21. bass — the fish
  22. stem — of a plant
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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