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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
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Word bank
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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. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  2. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  3. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  6. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  7. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  8. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  9. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  10. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  11. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  12. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  13. He is an ace ________________.
  14. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  17. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  18. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  19. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  20. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  21. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  22. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  23. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  24. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. staff — a stick
  3. lash — a whip stroke
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. mouse — for a computer
  6. lash — to lash out
  7. branch — of a bank
  8. degree — an amount
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. degree — from a university
  11. branch — a division
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. pitcher — in baseball
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. current — electric
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. staff — employees
  18. branch — of a tree
  19. current — of water
  20. staff — employees
  21. degree — temperature
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. current — happening now
  24. racket — a loud noise

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