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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. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  2. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  6. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  9. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  13. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  14. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  15. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  18. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  19. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  22. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  23. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  24. Many English words ________________ from Latin.

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

Answer key

  1. net — after costs
  2. stem — a stem cell
  3. charge — a price
  4. bear — the animal
  5. net — in sport
  6. present — there
  7. current — happening now
  8. present — the time now
  9. branch — of a bank
  10. charge — electricity
  11. charge — in control
  12. chip — for betting
  13. branch — a division
  14. chip — in a computer
  15. stem — of a plant
  16. current — of water
  17. chip — to eat
  18. present — a gift
  19. net — for catching
  20. current — electric
  21. branch — of a tree
  22. bear — to put up with
  23. bear — the animal
  24. stem — to come from

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