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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. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  2. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  3. There's no middle ________________.
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  11. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  14. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  15. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  16. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  17. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.
  19. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  20. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  21. The ________________ market has crashed.
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  24. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — a meteor shower
  2. cap — of ice
  3. ground — a position
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. current — electric
  8. branch — a division
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. ground — the earth
  11. current — of water
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. stock — a soup base
  14. shower — to wash
  15. ground — crushed
  16. shower — rain
  17. cap — a lid
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. branch — of a tree
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. stock — shares
  22. current — happening now
  23. cap — a hat
  24. stock — goods

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