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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 was locked up in a ________________.
  2. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  3. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  4. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  5. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  8. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  9. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  10. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  11. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  12. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  13. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  14. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  15. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  16. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  17. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  18. My mare is ________________ in color.
  19. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  20. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  21. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  22. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  23. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  24. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in a prison
  2. bore — to drill
  3. current — happening now
  4. branch — of a bank
  5. chip — in a computer
  6. branch — a division
  7. deal — to handle
  8. branch — of a tree
  9. degree — from a university
  10. deal — a big deal
  11. degree — an amount
  12. bore — gave birth
  13. bay — to keep at bay
  14. degree — temperature
  15. bore — to tire
  16. current — electric
  17. cell — in biology
  18. bay — a horse colour
  19. bay — a part of the sea
  20. chip — for betting
  21. cell — a phone
  22. chip — to eat
  23. current — of water
  24. deal — an agreement

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