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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. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  2. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  3. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  4. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  5. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  6. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  7. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  10. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  13. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  14. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  15. Did you ________________ the meat?
  16. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  17. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  18. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  19. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  20. There's no middle ________________.
  21. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  22. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  23. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  24. A black ________________ roamed the forest.

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

Answer key

  1. current — electric
  2. ground — crushed
  3. chair — a professorship
  4. season — in sport
  5. current — of water
  6. ground — the earth
  7. bear — to put up with
  8. branch — a division
  9. bore — gave birth
  10. race — a contest
  11. current — happening now
  12. branch — of a bank
  13. bore — to tire
  14. season — of the year
  15. season — to add flavour
  16. chair — to sit on
  17. race — humankind
  18. race — the arms race
  19. bear — the animal
  20. ground — a position
  21. branch — of a tree
  22. chair — a leader
  23. bore — to drill
  24. bear — the animal

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