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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. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  2. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  3. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  4. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. It's one o'clock ________________.
  13. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  16. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  17. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  18. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  19. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  20. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  21. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  24. We ________________ up on opposing sides.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — in a race
  2. wound — an injury
  3. branch — of a bank
  4. pit — a fruit stone
  5. current — happening now
  6. scale — in music
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. pit — a hole
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. sharp — exactly
  13. sharp — with an edge
  14. branch — a division
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. wound — an injury
  17. current — of water
  18. hide — animal skin
  19. sharp — clever
  20. nail — on a finger
  21. scale — for weighing
  22. current — electric
  23. scale — size or range
  24. wound — past of 'wind'

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