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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. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  2. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  3. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  4. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. It's one o'clock ________________.
  7. You don't need to ________________ round.
  8. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  9. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  10. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  15. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  16. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  17. The King held a masked ________________.
  18. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. We're almost out of ________________.
  21. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  22. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  23. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  24. The polar ice ________________ is melting.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — a division
  2. ball — a great time
  3. bass — the instrument
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. sharp — exactly
  7. pop — to visit
  8. pop — music
  9. branch — of a bank
  10. ball — a round shape
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. bass — the fish
  13. current — happening now
  14. cap — a hat
  15. bass — low music
  16. branch — of a tree
  17. ball — a dance
  18. cap — a lid
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. pop — soda
  21. current — electric
  22. current — of water
  23. sharp — clever
  24. cap — of ice

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