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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. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  2. My mare is ________________ in color.
  3. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. When will it ________________ you to start?
  7. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  8. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  13. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  14. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  15. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  16. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  17. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  18. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  19. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  20. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  21. When are we going to ________________?
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  24. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — a weight
  2. bay — a horse colour
  3. bat — the animal
  4. branch — a division
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. suit — to fit
  7. bat — in an idiom
  8. land — ground
  9. current — of water
  10. suit — in cards
  11. current — electric
  12. pound — to hit hard
  13. chair — a professorship
  14. chair — a leader
  15. bat — for baseball
  16. bay — a part of the sea
  17. suit — clothes
  18. chair — to sit on
  19. pound — for dogs
  20. branch — of a tree
  21. land — to come down
  22. current — happening now
  23. land — a country
  24. bay — to keep at bay

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