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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. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  2. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  3. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  4. When will it ________________ you to start?
  5. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  6. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  7. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  8. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  9. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  12. How do you ________________ your surname?
  13. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  14. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  15. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  16. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  17. He is an ace ________________.
  18. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  19. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  20. When are we going to ________________?
  21. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  24. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. dip — to sink
  4. suit — to fit
  5. land — a country
  6. dip — to dunk
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. dip — a sauce
  9. branch — of a bank
  10. current — of water
  11. track — to keep track
  12. spell — letters
  13. spell — magic
  14. track — a path
  15. suit — in cards
  16. current — electric
  17. pitcher — in baseball
  18. branch — of a tree
  19. track — a song
  20. land — to come down
  21. land — ground
  22. current — happening now
  23. branch — a division
  24. suit — clothes

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