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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. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  2. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  9. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  10. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. current — electric
  2. bowl — to roll
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. current — of water
  5. current — happening now
  6. bowl — a dish
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. branch — of a bank
  9. wake — a trail
  10. bowl — a football final
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. wake — to stop sleeping
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. wake — before a funeral
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. branch — a division

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