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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. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  2. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  3. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  4. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  5. We're almost out of ________________.
  6. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  7. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. You don't need to ________________ round.
  10. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  11. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  12. How do you ________________ your surname?
  13. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  20. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  21. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  22. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  23. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  24. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — a division
  2. current — happening now
  3. club — for golf
  4. mine — an explosive
  5. pop — soda
  6. club — for dancing
  7. wake — to stop sleeping
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. pop — to visit
  10. mine — for digging
  11. branch — of a tree
  12. spell — letters
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. current — electric
  15. wake — a trail
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. branch — of a bank
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. spell — magic
  20. current — of water
  21. club — a group
  22. mine — belonging to me
  23. spell — a short time
  24. pop — music

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