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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. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  2. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. The ________________ market has crashed.
  13. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  17. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  18. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  19. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  20. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  23. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  24. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — a division
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. current — of water
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. board — a committee
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. stock — goods
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. stock — shares
  13. perch — the fish
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. bass — the instrument
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. stock — a soup base
  19. board — to get on
  20. bass — low music
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. bass — the fish
  23. current — happening now
  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