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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. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  2. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. The ________________ market has crashed.
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  12. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  13. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  16. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  17. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  18. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  19. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  20. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  21. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  22. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  24. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — to pay attention
  2. bass — the instrument
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. wave — with your hand
  5. current — happening now
  6. stock — shares
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. branch — a division
  9. board — to get on
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. mark — a grade
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. current — electric
  14. mark — a trace
  15. stock — goods
  16. branch — of a bank
  17. wave — of the sea
  18. perch — the fish
  19. current — of water
  20. bass — low music
  21. wave — a sudden rise
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. board — a committee
  24. bass — the fish

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