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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. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  2. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  5. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  6. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  7. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  8. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  9. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  10. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  11. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  18. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  19. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  20. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  21. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. current — of water
  2. rest — a break
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. scale — size or range
  5. cue — a signal
  6. rest — what's left
  7. cue — for pool
  8. rest — what's left
  9. club — for dancing
  10. current — electric
  11. branch — of a bank
  12. branch — a division
  13. club — for golf
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. club — a group
  18. current — happening now
  19. scale — in music
  20. cue — a hint
  21. cabinet — a cupboard
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. scale — for weighing
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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