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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. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  3. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  4. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  5. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  8. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  9. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  10. When was this ________________ built?
  11. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  12. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  13. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  14. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  17. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  18. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  19. The water is too ________________.
  20. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  21. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  22. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  23. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  24. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.

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

Answer key

  1. current — electric
  2. racket — a loud noise
  3. branch — of a bank
  4. pit — a hole
  5. cold — the Cold War
  6. branch — a division
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. safe — a strongbox
  9. branch — of a tree
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. club — for dancing
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. pit — in a race
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. current — happening now
  16. cold — an illness
  17. club — for golf
  18. current — of water
  19. cold — not warm
  20. club — a group
  21. temple — side of the head
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. pit — a fruit stone
  24. racket — for tennis

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