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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. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  2. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  3. You don't need to ________________ round.
  4. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  5. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  8. We're almost out of ________________.
  9. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  10. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. My mare is ________________ in color.
  14. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  15. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  16. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  17. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  18. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  19. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  20. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  21. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. The ________________ went through the wall.
  24. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. shower — to wash
  3. pop — to visit
  4. bay — to keep at bay
  5. shower — a meteor shower
  6. current — happening now
  7. field — farmland
  8. pop — soda
  9. branch — of a bank
  10. field — a subject
  11. can — a tin
  12. current — of water
  13. bay — a horse colour
  14. can — a tin
  15. bay — a part of the sea
  16. field — for sport
  17. pop — music
  18. branch — a division
  19. branch — of a tree
  20. shower — rain
  21. can — to be able to
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. current — electric

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