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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. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  2. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  3. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  6. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  7. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  8. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  9. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  10. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  11. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  12. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  13. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  14. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  17. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  18. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  19. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  20. He is an ace ________________.
  21. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  22. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  23. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  24. He had ________________ pain while walking.

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

Answer key

  1. current — happening now
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. snap — to snap out of it
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. net — after costs
  6. bowl — a dish
  7. net — in sport
  8. scale — in music
  9. net — for catching
  10. scale — size or range
  11. bowl — to roll
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. scale — for weighing
  15. current — electric
  16. bowl — a football final
  17. current — of water
  18. branch — a division
  19. snap — to speak sharply
  20. pitcher — in baseball
  21. snap — to click
  22. branch — of a bank
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. calf — of the leg

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