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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. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  2. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  3. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  6. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  7. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  10. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  11. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. Have you found your soul ________________?
  14. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  15. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  16. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  19. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  20. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  21. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  22. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  23. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  24. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — to wash
  2. current — happening now
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. mark — a trace
  5. pass — to succeed
  6. branch — of a tree
  7. pass — a permit
  8. mark — a grade
  9. branch — a division
  10. shower — a meteor shower
  11. pass — to spend time
  12. mate — to breed
  13. mate — a partner
  14. bank — for money
  15. racket — a loud noise
  16. shower — rain
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. branch — of a bank
  19. bank — of a river
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. current — electric
  22. current — of water
  23. mate — a friend
  24. bank — for money

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