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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. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  2. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  3. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  4. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  5. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  6. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  7. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  8. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  9. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  12. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  13. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  14. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  19. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  20. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  21. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  22. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  23. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  24. The King held a masked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a great time
  2. present — the time now
  3. dip — a sauce
  4. present — a gift
  5. current — of water
  6. present — there
  7. ball — a round shape
  8. branch — of a tree
  9. wave — with your hand
  10. cap — a hat
  11. stand — on your feet
  12. cap — a lid
  13. dip — to sink
  14. current — happening now
  15. current — electric
  16. dip — to dunk
  17. stand — to bear
  18. stand — for spectators
  19. cap — of ice
  20. branch — a division
  21. wave — a sudden rise
  22. branch — of a bank
  23. wave — of the sea
  24. ball — a dance

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