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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. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  2. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  5. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  6. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  7. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  8. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  9. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  12. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  13. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  14. That was ________________ to happen.
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  17. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  18. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  19. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  20. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  21. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  22. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  23. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  24. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.

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

Answer key

  1. object — an aim
  2. branch — a division
  3. rock — music
  4. wax — to grow
  5. wax — in the ear
  6. chip — to eat
  7. object — a thing
  8. present — a gift
  9. bound — obliged
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. bound — tied together
  12. current — happening now
  13. current — electric
  14. bound — certain
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. present — the time now
  17. present — there
  18. object — to protest
  19. rock — a stone
  20. chip — in a computer
  21. branch — of a tree
  22. current — of water
  23. branch — of a bank
  24. chip — for betting

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