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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. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  2. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  3. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  4. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  5. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  6. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  7. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  11. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  17. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  18. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  19. The ________________ took off on time.
  20. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  21. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — the bottom
  2. foot — a measure
  3. club — for golf
  4. mine — belonging to me
  5. branch — of a tree
  6. rest — a break
  7. mine — an explosive
  8. current — happening now
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. club — for dancing
  11. plane — in geometry
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. club — a group
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. current — of water
  16. rest — what's left
  17. branch — of a bank
  18. rest — what's left
  19. plane — an aircraft
  20. foot — part of the body
  21. plane — a tool
  22. current — electric
  23. mine — for digging
  24. branch — a division

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