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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. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  2. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  3. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  4. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  5. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  6. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  13. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  14. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  15. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  18. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  19. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  20. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  21. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  22. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  23. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  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 — happening now
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. stem — of a plant
  4. current — electric
  5. jam — a tight spot
  6. racket — a loud noise
  7. current — of water
  8. branch — a division
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. toast — the most admired
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. wax — to grow
  13. wax — in the ear
  14. toast — bread
  15. jam — to spread on bread
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. toast — a drink to someone
  18. branch — of a bank
  19. wax — for sculpting
  20. stem — a stem cell
  21. stem — to come from
  22. jam — in traffic
  23. branch — of a tree
  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