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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. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  2. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  8. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  9. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  12. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  13. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  14. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  17. The King held a masked ________________.
  18. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  19. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  20. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  21. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  22. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  23. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  24. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a path
  2. chip — in a computer
  3. track — a song
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. current — electric
  6. branch — a division
  7. wave — of the sea
  8. leaves — lets stay
  9. leaves — to go away
  10. chip — to eat
  11. current — of water
  12. bat — the animal
  13. branch — of a bank
  14. current — happening now
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. leaves — of a tree
  17. ball — a dance
  18. ball — a great time
  19. chip — for betting
  20. bat — for baseball
  21. wave — with your hand
  22. bat — in an idiom
  23. track — to keep track
  24. wave — a sudden rise

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