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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. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  2. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  3. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  4. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  5. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  6. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  7. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  8. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  9. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  10. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  11. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  12. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  15. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  16. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  17. I'll be taking the ________________.
  18. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  21. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  22. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  23. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  24. The light ________________ burned out.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — in football
  2. rest — what's left
  3. branch — of a bank
  4. present — a gift
  5. branch — of a tree
  6. rest — a break
  7. field — for sport
  8. current — electric
  9. current — happening now
  10. field — farmland
  11. branch — a division
  12. tube — in a tire
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. present — the time now
  15. rest — what's left
  16. kick — a thrill
  17. tube — the underground
  18. tube — a container
  19. bulb — for light
  20. field — a subject
  21. present — there
  22. current — of water
  23. kick — with a leg
  24. bulb — for light

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