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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. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  5. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  6. When are we going to ________________?
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  9. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  10. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  11. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  12. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  13. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  14. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  15. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  16. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  19. It's one o'clock ________________.
  20. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  21. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  22. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  23. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  24. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a bank
  2. branch — a division
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. staff — a stick
  5. root — the cause
  6. land — to come down
  7. current — happening now
  8. branch — of a tree
  9. land — ground
  10. track — a song
  11. object — an aim
  12. track — to keep track
  13. track — a path
  14. object — to protest
  15. staff — employees
  16. root — of a word
  17. current — electric
  18. root — of a plant
  19. sharp — exactly
  20. current — of water
  21. staff — employees
  22. sharp — clever
  23. land — a country
  24. object — a thing

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