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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. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  2. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  4. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  5. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  6. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  7. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  8. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  9. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  10. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  15. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  16. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  19. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  20. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  21. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  22. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  23. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  24. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a bank
  2. board — a committee
  3. board — a flat piece
  4. chip — to eat
  5. wound — an injury
  6. chip — for betting
  7. wound — past of 'wind'
  8. branch — of a tree
  9. chip — in a computer
  10. stem — to come from
  11. board — to get on
  12. branch — a division
  13. current — happening now
  14. band — a music group
  15. stem — of a plant
  16. trunk — of a tree
  17. current — electric
  18. wound — an injury
  19. band — a rubber band
  20. current — of water
  21. trunk — of a car
  22. trunk — of an elephant
  23. stem — a stem cell
  24. band — a ring

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