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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. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  2. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  8. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  9. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  10. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  11. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  12. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  13. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  14. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  15. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  16. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  17. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  18. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  19. There's no middle ________________.
  20. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  21. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  22. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  23. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  24. He took the fish out of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. current — electric
  2. branch — of a tree
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. current — happening now
  5. ground — the earth
  6. branch — a division
  7. cap — of ice
  8. current — of water
  9. wave — of the sea
  10. net — after costs
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. cap — a lid
  13. cap — a hat
  14. wave — with your hand
  15. squash — to crush
  16. ground — crushed
  17. squash — the vegetable
  18. branch — of a bank
  19. ground — a position
  20. net — in sport
  21. squash — the sport
  22. wave — a sudden rise
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. net — for catching

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