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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. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  2. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  3. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. Did you ________________ the meat?
  6. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  7. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  8. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  9. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  10. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  11. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  12. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  13. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  14. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  15. David sat on the ________________.
  16. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  17. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  18. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  19. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  20. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  21. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  22. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  23. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  24. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. current — happening now
  2. bank — of a river
  3. branch — of a bank
  4. current — of water
  5. season — to add flavour
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. branch — a division
  8. season — in sport
  9. swing — in golf
  10. season — of the year
  11. mouse — for a computer
  12. hand — help
  13. swing — music
  14. branch — of a tree
  15. swing — to play on
  16. net — after costs
  17. bank — for money
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. hand — in cards
  20. bank — for money
  21. net — for catching
  22. net — in sport
  23. current — electric
  24. hand — part of the body

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