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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. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  4. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  8. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  9. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  10. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  11. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  12. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  13. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  14. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  15. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  16. You don't need to ________________ round.
  17. We're almost out of ________________.
  18. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  19. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  22. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  23. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  24. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.

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

Answer key

  1. current — electric
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. shower — to wash
  4. present — there
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. branch — a division
  7. pop — music
  8. present — the time now
  9. coach — pulled by horses
  10. present — a gift
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. ruler — a monarch
  13. current — of water
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. perch — the fish
  16. pop — to visit
  17. pop — soda
  18. shower — rain
  19. shower — a meteor shower
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. current — happening now
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. branch — of a tree
  24. ruler — for measuring

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