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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. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  4. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  5. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  6. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  7. He is an ace ________________.
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  10. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  11. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  12. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  13. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  14. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  17. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  18. The ball is in your ________________.
  19. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  20. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  21. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  22. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  23. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  24. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — to spread on bread
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. wax — to grow
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. jam — in traffic
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. pitcher — in baseball
  8. branch — a division
  9. jam — a tight spot
  10. current — electric
  11. current — of water
  12. deal — to handle
  13. deal — an agreement
  14. wax — for sculpting
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. court — of a king
  18. court — for sport
  19. wax — in the ear
  20. court — of law
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. racket — a loud noise
  23. current — happening now
  24. deal — a big deal

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