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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. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  2. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  8. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  9. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  10. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  11. When are we going to ________________?
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  14. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  17. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  18. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  19. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  20. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  21. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  22. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  23. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  24. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a tree
  2. current — of water
  3. scale — in music
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. drill — army training
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. content — the amount
  8. patient — calm and waiting
  9. scale — for weighing
  10. drill — the tool
  11. land — to come down
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. branch — of a bank
  14. current — happening now
  15. current — electric
  16. land — ground
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. content — videos and posts
  19. branch — a division
  20. scale — size or range
  21. land — a country
  22. content — happy
  23. drill — a practice
  24. patient — a sick person

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