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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. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  3. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  6. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  7. We're almost out of ________________.
  8. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  9. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  10. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  11. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  12. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  13. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  16. You don't need to ________________ round.
  17. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  18. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  19. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  20. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  21. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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

Answer key

  1. current — happening now
  2. deal — an agreement
  3. chair — to sit on
  4. branch — a division
  5. jam — in traffic
  6. deal — a big deal
  7. pop — soda
  8. current — electric
  9. clip — for paper
  10. deal — to handle
  11. pop — music
  12. branch — of a bank
  13. current — of water
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. jam — to spread on bread
  16. pop — to visit
  17. clip — to cut
  18. chair — a professorship
  19. branch — of a tree
  20. clip — a video
  21. jam — a tight spot
  22. rush — hurry
  23. chair — a leader
  24. rush — to hurry

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