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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 120 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. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  2. The ________________ went through the wall.
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  5. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  6. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  9. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  10. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  11. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  12. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  13. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  14. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  15. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  16. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  19. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  20. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  21. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  22. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  23. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  24. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — decided
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. current — electric
  4. bank — for money
  5. chip — to eat
  6. rest — a break
  7. current — of water
  8. branch — of a bank
  9. rest — what's left
  10. bank — of a river
  11. branch — a division
  12. chip — in a computer
  13. rest — what's left
  14. nail — on a finger
  15. firm — a company
  16. field — for sport
  17. current — happening now
  18. firm — steady
  19. field — farmland
  20. field — a subject
  21. branch — of a tree
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. chip — for betting
  24. bank — for money

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