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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. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  2. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  5. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  8. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  14. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  15. When are we going to ________________?
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  19. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  20. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  21. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  22. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  23. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  24. Let us try to swim against the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — belonging to me
  2. current — electric
  3. ball — a dance
  4. mine — for digging
  5. mine — an explosive
  6. branch — a division
  7. land — ground
  8. leaves — lets stay
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. craft — a handicraft
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. craft — a skill
  14. branch — of a bank
  15. land — to come down
  16. ball — a great time
  17. current — happening now
  18. branch — of a tree
  19. land — a country
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. craft — boats
  22. leaves — of a tree
  23. leaves — to go away
  24. current — of water

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