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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. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  2. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  3. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  6. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  7. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. She's very handy with a ________________.
  14. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  17. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  19. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  20. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  21. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  24. The ball is in your ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a bank
  2. cap — of ice
  3. march — music
  4. current — of water
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. court — of a king
  7. court — of law
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. march — the month
  11. current — electric
  12. branch — a division
  13. saw — the tool
  14. branch — of a tree
  15. saw — the tool
  16. cap — a lid
  17. march — the month
  18. saw — past of 'see'
  19. deal — to handle
  20. cap — a hat
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. current — happening now
  23. deal — a big deal
  24. court — for sport

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