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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. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  2. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  5. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  9. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  10. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  11. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  12. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  13. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  19. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  20. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  24. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — to pay attention
  2. club — a group
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. current — electric
  5. current — of water
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. object — a thing
  9. row — to paddle
  10. club — for dancing
  11. row — a line
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. object — to protest
  14. branch — a division
  15. mark — a trace
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. current — happening now
  18. object — an aim
  19. branch — of a bank
  20. row — a quarrel
  21. mark — a grade
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. club — for golf

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