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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. Have you met the new head ________________?
  2. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  3. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  8. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  9. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  10. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  11. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  12. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  13. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  14. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  15. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  16. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  17. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  18. We're almost out of ________________.
  19. You don't need to ________________ round.
  20. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  21. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  22. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  23. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  24. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. pound — for dogs
  3. pop — music
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. current — happening now
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. wax — in the ear
  8. current — electric
  9. trunk — of a car
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. pound — to hit hard
  12. trunk — of a tree
  13. trunk — of an elephant
  14. fan — to cool the air
  15. wax — for sculpting
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. current — of water
  18. pop — soda
  19. pop — to visit
  20. branch — a division
  21. branch — of a bank
  22. pound — a weight
  23. wax — to grow
  24. coach — pulled by horses

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