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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 ball hit the back of the ________________.
  2. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  4. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  5. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  6. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  7. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  10. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  15. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  16. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  17. What do you think of the new ________________?
  18. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  19. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  20. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  21. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  24. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. net — in sport
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. wound — an injury
  4. dip — to sink
  5. current — of water
  6. bowl — to roll
  7. net — after costs
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. wound — past of 'wind'
  10. branch — a division
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. dip — to dunk
  13. wake — a trail
  14. bowl — a football final
  15. wound — an injury
  16. branch — of a tree
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. net — for catching
  19. dip — a sauce
  20. current — happening now
  21. wake — before a funeral
  22. current — electric
  23. branch — of a bank
  24. bowl — a dish

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