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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. When will it ________________ you to start?
  2. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  3. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  4. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  5. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  8. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  11. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  12. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  13. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  14. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  15. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  16. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  17. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  18. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  19. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  20. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  21. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  22. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  23. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  24. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — to fit
  2. current — happening now
  3. bass — the instrument
  4. pound — for dogs
  5. field — for sport
  6. branch — a division
  7. field — farmland
  8. suit — clothes
  9. current — electric
  10. pound — a weight
  11. bass — low music
  12. object — an aim
  13. current — of water
  14. hand — part of the body
  15. hand — in cards
  16. branch — of a tree
  17. pound — to hit hard
  18. hand — help
  19. branch — of a bank
  20. bass — the fish
  21. object — to protest
  22. field — a subject
  23. suit — in cards
  24. object — a thing

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