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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 120 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.

Words on the sheet
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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: field · prune · spell · mark · stock · file · branch · current

  1. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  2. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  3. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  4. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  5. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  6. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  7. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  8. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  9. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  10. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  19. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  20. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  21. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  22. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  23. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  24. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.

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

Answer key

  1. current — electric
  2. field — for sport
  3. prune — to trim
  4. file — a document
  5. spell — magic
  6. file — a tool
  7. mark — a trace
  8. current — of water
  9. field — farmland
  10. stock — goods
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. branch — of a tree
  13. mark — a grade
  14. stock — shares
  15. prune — the fruit
  16. current — happening now
  17. spell — letters
  18. branch — a division
  19. branch — of a bank
  20. prune — to trim
  21. stock — a soup base
  22. spell — a short time
  23. file — a line of people
  24. field — a subject

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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