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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. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  2. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  6. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  7. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  8. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  9. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  10. The ________________ went through the wall.
  11. I can't ________________ this cold.
  12. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  13. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  14. Where did you ________________ them?
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  19. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  20. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  21. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  22. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  23. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  24. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — a division
  2. current — electric
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. mug — a face
  6. mark — a trace
  7. stand — for spectators
  8. current — of water
  9. mug — a cup
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. stand — to bear
  12. branch — of a bank
  13. bass — the instrument
  14. mug — to rob
  15. current — happening now
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. bass — low music
  18. mark — a grade
  19. mine — an explosive
  20. bass — the fish
  21. stand — on your feet
  22. mine — for digging
  23. branch — of a tree
  24. mine — belonging to me

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