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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. That was a fun ________________.
  2. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  4. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  7. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  8. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  9. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  10. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  11. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  14. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  15. It's one o'clock ________________.
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  18. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  19. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  20. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  21. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  22. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  24. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a match
  2. current — of water
  3. pound — for dogs
  4. pound — to hit hard
  5. current — happening now
  6. branch — of a tree
  7. foot — a measure
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. sharp — clever
  10. game — wild animals
  11. foot — the bottom
  12. current — electric
  13. branch — a division
  14. game — a kind of play
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. sharp — with an edge
  18. rule — a law
  19. rule — to rule out
  20. rule — government
  21. branch — of a bank
  22. foot — part of the body
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  24. pound — a weight

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