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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. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  2. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  6. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  7. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  8. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  9. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  13. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  16. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  17. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  20. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  21. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  22. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  23. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  24. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — in music
  2. pit — a fruit stone
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. current — of water
  5. pit — a hole
  6. pit — in a race
  7. kid — child
  8. current — electric
  9. scale — for weighing
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. scale — size or range
  13. straw — to clutch at straws
  14. bulb — for light
  15. branch — a division
  16. branch — of a bank
  17. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  18. bulb — for light
  19. kid — to tease
  20. current — happening now
  21. straw — a straw man
  22. wake — a trail
  23. wake — before a funeral
  24. straw — dry grass

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