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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. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  3. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  6. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  7. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  8. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  9. The ball is in your ________________.
  10. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  11. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  12. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  13. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  14. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  15. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  16. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  17. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  18. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  19. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  20. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  23. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  24. The people resisted their cruel ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. current — electric
  2. bank — for money
  3. pass — to spend time
  4. current — happening now
  5. pass — to succeed
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. court — of a king
  8. branch — of a tree
  9. court — for sport
  10. court — of law
  11. pass — a permit
  12. cue — a hint
  13. cue — for pool
  14. straw — dry grass
  15. bank — for money
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. cue — a signal
  18. straw — a straw man
  19. branch — of a bank
  20. straw — to clutch at straws
  21. current — of water
  22. branch — a division
  23. bank — of a river
  24. ruler — a monarch

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