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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 116 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. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  2. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  3. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  7. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  8. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  9. When are we going to ________________?
  10. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  11. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  12. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  15. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  18. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  19. The ________________ market has crashed.
  20. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  21. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  24. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a tree
  2. land — a country
  3. cap — a hat
  4. current — of water
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. mouse — for a computer
  7. cap — of ice
  8. wound — past of 'wind'
  9. land — to come down
  10. stock — goods
  11. cue — for pool
  12. cue — a hint
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. stock — a soup base
  15. wound — an injury
  16. current — happening now
  17. cap — a lid
  18. wound — an injury
  19. stock — shares
  20. cue — a signal
  21. land — ground
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. branch — a division
  24. current — electric

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