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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. You don't need to ________________ round.
  2. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  3. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  4. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  5. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  6. How do you ________________ your surname?
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  9. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  10. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  11. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  12. When was this ________________ built?
  13. We're almost out of ________________.
  14. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  17. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  18. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  19. I can't ________________ this cold.
  20. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  21. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  22. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  23. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  24. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — to visit
  2. row — a quarrel
  3. spell — a short time
  4. stand — for spectators
  5. temple — side of the head
  6. spell — letters
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. pop — music
  9. row — a line
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. branch — of a bank
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. pop — soda
  14. squash — the vegetable
  15. current — of water
  16. current — electric
  17. stand — on your feet
  18. squash — the sport
  19. stand — to bear
  20. current — happening now
  21. row — to paddle
  22. spell — magic
  23. branch — a division
  24. squash — to crush

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