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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. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  2. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. When are we going to ________________?
  5. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  6. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  7. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  8. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. He is an ace ________________.
  11. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  12. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  13. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  14. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  15. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  16. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  19. My mare is ________________ in color.
  20. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  21. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  24. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. bay — a part of the sea
  3. mark — a trace
  4. land — to come down
  5. bank — of a river
  6. current — of water
  7. current — electric
  8. bank — for money
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. pitcher — in baseball
  11. land — a country
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. branch — of a bank
  14. prune — the fruit
  15. land — ground
  16. mark — a grade
  17. branch — a division
  18. prune — to trim
  19. bay — a horse colour
  20. bank — for money
  21. branch — of a tree
  22. current — happening now
  23. prune — to trim
  24. bay — to keep at bay

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