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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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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: club · branch · current · sharp · deal · bound · cap · bass

  1. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  2. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  3. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  4. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  5. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  6. That was ________________ to happen.
  7. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  8. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  9. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  14. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  15. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  16. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  17. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  18. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  19. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  20. It's one o'clock ________________.
  21. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  22. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  23. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  24. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.

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

Answer key

  1. current — happening now
  2. deal — to handle
  3. deal — an agreement
  4. sharp — with an edge
  5. bass — low music
  6. bound — certain
  7. bass — the instrument
  8. club — for golf
  9. sharp — clever
  10. current — of water
  11. cap — of ice
  12. current — electric
  13. branch — of a bank
  14. bass — the fish
  15. club — for dancing
  16. bound — obliged
  17. club — a group
  18. branch — of a tree
  19. bound — tied together
  20. sharp — exactly
  21. branch — a division
  22. deal — a big deal
  23. cap — a lid
  24. cap — a hat

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