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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. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  2. We're almost out of ________________.
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. You don't need to ________________ round.
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  13. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  14. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  15. My mare is ________________ in color.
  16. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  17. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  18. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  19. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  24. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — music
  2. pop — soda
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. current — of water
  5. rush — hurry
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. branch — a division
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. pop — to visit
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. current — happening now
  13. branch — of a tree
  14. branch — of a bank
  15. bay — a horse colour
  16. mine — for digging
  17. bark — of a tree
  18. bark — to shout
  19. mine — an explosive
  20. current — electric
  21. bark — a dog's sound
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. mine — belonging to me
  24. bay — to keep at bay

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