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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. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  10. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  11. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  14. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  15. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  16. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  17. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  18. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  19. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  20. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  21. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  24. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. drill — army training
  4. current — of water
  5. board — a committee
  6. perch — the fish
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. branch — a division
  9. craft — a handicraft
  10. board — a flat piece
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. board — to get on
  13. drill — a practice
  14. row — to paddle
  15. row — a line
  16. craft — a skill
  17. row — a quarrel
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. branch — of a tree
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. drill — the tool
  22. current — electric
  23. craft — boats
  24. current — happening now

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