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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: branch · pop · cold · bore · tube · pitch · current · jam

  1. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  2. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  3. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  4. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  5. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. The water is too ________________.
  8. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  9. You don't need to ________________ round.
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  12. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  13. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  14. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  15. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  16. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  17. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  18. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  19. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  20. We're almost out of ________________.
  21. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  22. I'll be taking the ________________.
  23. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  24. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — an illness
  2. pitch — a sports field
  3. bore — to tire
  4. jam — a tight spot
  5. pitch — completely
  6. current — happening now
  7. cold — not warm
  8. jam — to spread on bread
  9. pop — to visit
  10. tube — a container
  11. branch — of a bank
  12. bore — gave birth
  13. branch — a division
  14. pop — music
  15. jam — in traffic
  16. pitch — a sales talk
  17. bore — to drill
  18. current — of water
  19. cold — the Cold War
  20. pop — soda
  21. tube — in a tire
  22. tube — the underground
  23. branch — of a tree
  24. current — electric

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