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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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468
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: current · racket · season · bark · safe · branch · dip · capital

  1. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  2. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  3. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  4. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  5. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  6. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  9. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  10. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  11. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  14. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  15. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  16. Did you ________________ the meat?
  17. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  18. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  19. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  20. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  21. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  22. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  23. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  24. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. bark — of a tree
  3. bark — a dog's sound
  4. season — in sport
  5. capital — money
  6. season — of the year
  7. current — happening now
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. capital — a big letter
  10. bark — to shout
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. current — electric
  13. branch — a division
  14. safe — a strongbox
  15. dip — to dunk
  16. season — to add flavour
  17. branch — of a bank
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. capital — a city
  20. current — of water
  21. dip — a sauce
  22. branch — of a tree
  23. dip — to sink
  24. racket — a loud noise

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