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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. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  2. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  3. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  4. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  7. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  8. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  9. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  10. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. Where did you ________________ them?
  13. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  14. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  17. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  18. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  19. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  20. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  21. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  24. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.

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

Answer key

  1. current — happening now
  2. bear — the animal
  3. cabinet — a cupboard
  4. pass — to spend time
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. degree — from a university
  7. pass — a permit
  8. branch — of a tree
  9. craft — a skill
  10. craft — boats
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. mug — to rob
  13. degree — an amount
  14. mug — a cup
  15. current — of water
  16. pass — to succeed
  17. craft — a handicraft
  18. branch — a division
  19. mug — a face
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. bear — the animal
  22. current — electric
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. degree — temperature

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