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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 had a ________________ with my boss today.
  2. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  3. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  4. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  5. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  6. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  9. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  10. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  14. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  15. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  16. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  17. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  18. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  19. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  20. That was a fun ________________.
  21. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  22. That was ________________ to happen.
  23. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  24. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a quarrel
  2. branch — a division
  3. game — a kind of play
  4. game — wild animals
  5. row — to paddle
  6. kick — a thrill
  7. current — of water
  8. kick — with a leg
  9. branch — of a bank
  10. bound — tied together
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. stand — to bear
  13. pit — in a race
  14. current — happening now
  15. pit — a fruit stone
  16. pit — a hole
  17. row — a line
  18. stand — on your feet
  19. current — electric
  20. game — a match
  21. bound — obliged
  22. bound — certain
  23. kick — in football
  24. branch — of a tree

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