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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. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  2. We're almost out of ________________.
  3. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  6. You don't need to ________________ round.
  7. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  8. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  9. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  10. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  13. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  16. When will it ________________ you to start?
  17. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  18. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  19. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  20. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  21. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  22. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  23. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  24. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — clothes
  2. pop — soda
  3. suit — in cards
  4. branch — a division
  5. track — to keep track
  6. pop — to visit
  7. mine — for digging
  8. pop — music
  9. mine — belonging to me
  10. track — a song
  11. current — happening now
  12. file — a document
  13. track — a path
  14. current — electric
  15. branch — of a bank
  16. suit — to fit
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. safe — a strongbox
  19. current — of water
  20. file — a line of people
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. branch — of a tree
  23. mine — an explosive
  24. file — a tool

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