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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: branch · stem · current · tear · club · pound

  1. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  2. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  3. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  4. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  5. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  6. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  7. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  8. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  9. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  14. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  15. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  16. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.

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

Answer key

  1. current — of water
  2. stem — of a plant
  3. club — for dancing
  4. current — electric
  5. branch — of a tree
  6. club — for golf
  7. pound — for dogs
  8. stem — a stem cell
  9. tear — to rip
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. tear — from crying
  12. branch — a division
  13. pound — to hit hard
  14. pound — a weight
  15. stem — to come from
  16. club — a group
  17. current — happening now
  18. tear — from crying

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