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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. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  2. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. The ball is in your ________________.
  4. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  5. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  6. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  7. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  8. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  11. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  12. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  15. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  18. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  19. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  20. When are we going to ________________?
  21. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  22. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  23. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  24. I'll be taking the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. court — for sport
  4. pass — to succeed
  5. branch — a division
  6. ruler — a monarch
  7. branch — of a bank
  8. tube — in a tire
  9. current — electric
  10. pass — to spend time
  11. court — of a king
  12. land — a country
  13. current — happening now
  14. branch — of a tree
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. land — ground
  18. current — of water
  19. tube — a container
  20. land — to come down
  21. pass — a permit
  22. court — of law
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. tube — the underground

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