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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. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  2. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  3. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  4. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  5. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  6. That was ________________ to happen.
  7. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  8. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  9. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  12. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  15. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  16. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  17. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  18. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  19. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  20. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  21. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  22. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  23. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  24. Have you found your soul ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. mate — to breed
  2. chip — for betting
  3. chip — in a computer
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. current — electric
  6. bound — certain
  7. bound — tied together
  8. row — a quarrel
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. branch — a division
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. current — happening now
  14. chip — to eat
  15. perch — the fish
  16. racket — a loud noise
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. bound — obliged
  19. branch — of a tree
  20. row — a line
  21. mate — a friend
  22. row — to paddle
  23. current — of water
  24. mate — a partner

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