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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 120 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: suit · bulb · bore · ball · row · chest · current · branch

  1. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  2. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  3. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  4. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  5. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  8. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  9. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  12. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  18. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  21. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  22. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  23. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  24. When will it ________________ you to start?

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

Answer key

  1. current — electric
  2. row — a quarrel
  3. row — a line
  4. bore — to tire
  5. current — of water
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. bore — gave birth
  8. branch — of a bank
  9. chest — of your body
  10. ball — a dance
  11. bore — to drill
  12. chest — of your body
  13. bulb — for light
  14. ball — a great time
  15. row — to paddle
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. branch — of a tree
  18. current — happening now
  19. bulb — for light
  20. suit — clothes
  21. branch — a division
  22. suit — in cards
  23. chest — a box
  24. suit — to fit

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