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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. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  2. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  3. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  4. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  5. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  6. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  7. My mare is ________________ in color.
  8. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  9. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  12. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  13. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  14. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  15. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  16. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  17. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  18. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  19. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  20. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  21. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  22. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  23. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  24. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — of a river
  2. bank — for money
  3. current — happening now
  4. current — electric
  5. branch — of a tree
  6. scale — for weighing
  7. bay — a horse colour
  8. prune — to trim
  9. bank — for money
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. bore — gave birth
  12. bore — to drill
  13. bore — to tire
  14. scale — size or range
  15. net — for catching
  16. prune — to trim
  17. bay — to keep at bay
  18. net — after costs
  19. current — of water
  20. branch — a division
  21. bay — a part of the sea
  22. prune — the fruit
  23. net — in sport
  24. scale — in music

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