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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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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. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  2. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  3. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  6. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  7. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  8. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  9. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  10. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  13. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  14. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  15. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  16. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  17. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  18. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  19. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  20. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  21. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  22. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  23. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  24. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a bank
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. file — a document
  4. current — happening now
  5. branch — of a tree
  6. current — electric
  7. bowl — a dish
  8. file — a line of people
  9. prune — to trim
  10. hand — help
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. march — music
  13. hand — in cards
  14. march — the month
  15. bowl — to roll
  16. hand — part of the body
  17. prune — the fruit
  18. branch — a division
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. current — of water
  21. file — a tool
  22. bowl — a football final
  23. march — the month
  24. prune — to trim

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