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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. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  2. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  5. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  6. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  7. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  8. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  9. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  10. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  11. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  12. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  15. False peace will not ________________.
  16. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  17. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  18. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  19. When will it ________________ you to start?
  20. Have you settled on a ________________?
  21. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  22. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  23. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  24. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — a penalty
  2. branch — a division
  3. current — electric
  4. suit — in cards
  5. firm — a company
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. firm — steady
  8. clip — to cut
  9. last — finally
  10. suit — clothes
  11. current — of water
  12. clip — a video
  13. current — happening now
  14. date — the fruit
  15. last — to go on
  16. firm — decided
  17. last — final
  18. fine — all right
  19. suit — to fit
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. branch — of a bank
  22. clip — for paper
  23. fine — high quality
  24. branch — of a tree

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