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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. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  3. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  4. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  9. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  12. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  13. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  14. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  15. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  18. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  19. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  20. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  21. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  22. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  23. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  24. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.

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

Answer key

  1. current — happening now
  2. pound — a weight
  3. branch — a division
  4. wave — of the sea
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. bass — low music
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. object — a thing
  9. pound — to hit hard
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. deal — a big deal
  12. spring — of water
  13. object — to protest
  14. wave — a sudden rise
  15. bass — the instrument
  16. current — of water
  17. spring — the season
  18. current — electric
  19. pound — for dogs
  20. deal — an agreement
  21. object — an aim
  22. deal — to handle
  23. bass — the fish
  24. spring — a coil

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