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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. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  2. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  5. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  6. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  7. It's one o'clock ________________.
  8. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  9. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  10. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  11. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  12. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  13. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  14. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  15. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  16. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  17. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  18. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  19. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  20. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  21. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  22. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  23. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  24. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a bank
  2. current — of water
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. chair — a professorship
  6. capital — money
  7. sharp — exactly
  8. calf — of the leg
  9. rock — music
  10. rock — a stone
  11. capital — a big letter
  12. current — happening now
  13. branch — of a tree
  14. sharp — clever
  15. branch — a division
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. capital — a city
  18. rock — to move gently
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. chair — a leader
  21. current — electric
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. perch — the fish
  24. chair — to sit on

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