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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. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  2. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  3. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  4. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  5. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  6. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  7. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  8. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  9. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  10. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  11. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  12. False peace will not ________________.
  13. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  14. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  15. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  16. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  17. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  18. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  19. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  20. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  21. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  22. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  23. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  24. Boris sat near the fire ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. current — electric
  2. last — finally
  3. wound — an injury
  4. wound — past of 'wind'
  5. wound — an injury
  6. branch — of a bank
  7. pit — in a race
  8. prune — the fruit
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. branch — a division
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. last — to go on
  13. prune — to trim
  14. pit — a fruit stone
  15. racket — a loud noise
  16. last — final
  17. current — of water
  18. current — happening now
  19. prune — to trim
  20. kick — with a leg
  21. kick — in football
  22. kick — a thrill
  23. branch — of a tree
  24. pit — a hole

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