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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. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  2. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  5. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  6. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  7. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  8. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  9. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  12. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  13. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  14. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  17. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  18. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  19. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  20. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  21. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  22. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  23. When will it ________________ you to start?
  24. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a path
  2. chest — of your body
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. chest — of your body
  5. band — a ring
  6. branch — of a tree
  7. band — a rubber band
  8. suit — in cards
  9. band — a music group
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. suit — clothes
  12. chip — to eat
  13. branch — a division
  14. chip — in a computer
  15. current — of water
  16. chest — a box
  17. coach — pulled by horses
  18. track — a song
  19. current — electric
  20. current — happening now
  21. track — to keep track
  22. chip — for betting
  23. suit — to fit
  24. branch — of a bank

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