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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 116 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. Have you met the new head ________________?
  2. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  3. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  4. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. My mare is ________________ in color.
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  13. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  14. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  15. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  18. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  19. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  22. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  23. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  24. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. racket — a loud noise
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. current — happening now
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. bay — a horse colour
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. current — of water
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. bay — to keep at bay
  13. branch — a division
  14. chip — in a computer
  15. fine — a penalty
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. fine — all right
  18. chip — to eat
  19. branch — of a tree
  20. current — electric
  21. fine — high quality
  22. chip — for betting
  23. bay — a part of the sea
  24. coach — pulled by horses

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