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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. We're almost out of ________________.
  2. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  3. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  4. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  5. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  6. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  7. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  8. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  9. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  12. You don't need to ________________ round.
  13. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  14. Have you found your soul ________________?
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  17. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  18. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  19. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  20. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  21. I can't ________________ this cold.
  22. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  23. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  24. The players ran onto the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — soda
  2. kid — child
  3. deal — to handle
  4. mate — to breed
  5. kid — to tease
  6. current — electric
  7. stand — for spectators
  8. mate — a friend
  9. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. deal — an agreement
  12. pop — to visit
  13. branch — of a tree
  14. mate — a partner
  15. current — happening now
  16. branch — of a bank
  17. pop — music
  18. pitch — a sales talk
  19. deal — a big deal
  20. current — of water
  21. stand — to bear
  22. pitch — completely
  23. branch — a division
  24. pitch — a sports field

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