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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 116 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. There's no middle ________________.
  2. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  3. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  4. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  5. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  6. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  7. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  13. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  14. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  15. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  16. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  17. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  22. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  23. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — a position
  2. prune — to trim
  3. branch — of a bank
  4. present — there
  5. branch — of a tree
  6. present — the time now
  7. bore — to drill
  8. key — for a lock
  9. bore — to tire
  10. current — of water
  11. current — happening now
  12. wound — past of 'wind'
  13. present — a gift
  14. prune — the fruit
  15. ground — the earth
  16. prune — to trim
  17. wound — an injury
  18. key — in music
  19. wound — an injury
  20. current — electric
  21. bore — gave birth
  22. ground — crushed
  23. key — the most important part
  24. branch — a division

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