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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. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  2. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  4. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  7. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  8. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  9. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  10. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  11. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  12. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  13. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. It's one o'clock ________________.
  18. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  19. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  20. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  21. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  22. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  23. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  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. deal — an agreement
  2. current — electric
  3. sharp — clever
  4. can — a tin
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. current — of water
  7. branch — a division
  8. club — a group
  9. branch — of a tree
  10. row — to paddle
  11. row — a line
  12. stock — a soup base
  13. can — to be able to
  14. stock — shares
  15. club — for dancing
  16. can — a tin
  17. sharp — exactly
  18. deal — to handle
  19. deal — a big deal
  20. current — happening now
  21. row — a quarrel
  22. stock — goods
  23. branch — of a bank
  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