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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. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  5. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  6. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  11. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. The ball is in your ________________.
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  16. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  17. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  18. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  19. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  20. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  21. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — money
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. rush — hurry
  4. current — electric
  5. firm — decided
  6. firm — a company
  7. current — happening now
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. can — to be able to
  10. stick — to attach or keep to
  11. branch — of a tree
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. court — for sport
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. court — of a king
  16. capital — a big letter
  17. can — a tin
  18. firm — steady
  19. current — of water
  20. capital — a city
  21. court — of law
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. branch — a division
  24. can — a tin

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