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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 124 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. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  2. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  3. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  4. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  7. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  8. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  9. We're almost out of ________________.
  10. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  11. You don't need to ________________ round.
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  16. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  17. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  18. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  21. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  22. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  23. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  24. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — a loud noise
  2. net — in sport
  3. craft — boats
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. current — of water
  7. pop — music
  8. stem — to come from
  9. pop — soda
  10. net — after costs
  11. pop — to visit
  12. branch — a division
  13. craft — a skill
  14. current — electric
  15. branch — of a bank
  16. craft — a handicraft
  17. branch — of a tree
  18. current — happening now
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. net — for catching
  21. stem — a stem cell
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. stem — of a plant
  24. racket — for tennis

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