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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 120 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. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  2. The King held a masked ________________.
  3. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  6. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  7. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  8. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  11. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  12. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  13. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  14. The ________________ took off on time.
  15. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  16. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  19. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  22. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  23. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  24. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a fruit stone
  2. ball — a dance
  3. branch — a division
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. kick — in football
  6. current — of water
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. track — a path
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. ball — a great time
  11. plane — in geometry
  12. pit — in a race
  13. branch — of a bank
  14. plane — an aircraft
  15. track — a song
  16. kick — with a leg
  17. plane — a tool
  18. nail — on a finger
  19. kick — a thrill
  20. current — electric
  21. pit — a hole
  22. track — to keep track
  23. ball — a round shape
  24. current — happening now

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