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

Word bank: jam · board · current · branch · club · shower · wake · press

  1. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  2. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  3. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  4. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  5. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  6. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  7. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  8. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  9. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  13. Did you ________________ the button?
  14. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  15. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  16. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  17. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  19. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  20. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  21. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  22. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  23. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  24. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for golf
  2. shower — rain
  3. wake — a trail
  4. press — a publisher
  5. club — a group
  6. wake — before a funeral
  7. shower — a meteor shower
  8. current — of water
  9. press — newspapers
  10. board — a committee
  11. current — electric
  12. shower — to wash
  13. press — to push
  14. jam — to spread on bread
  15. branch — of a bank
  16. jam — a tight spot
  17. board — to get on
  18. wake — to stop sleeping
  19. current — happening now
  20. club — for dancing
  21. board — a flat piece
  22. branch — a division
  23. branch — of a tree
  24. jam — in traffic

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