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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: wave · race · branch · current · pitcher · drill · rock · stand

  1. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  2. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  3. He is an ace ________________.
  4. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  7. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  8. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  9. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  10. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  11. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  12. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  13. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  14. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  15. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  19. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  20. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  21. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  22. I can't ________________ this cold.
  23. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  24. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — for spectators
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. pitcher — in baseball
  4. race — humankind
  5. rock — a stone
  6. current — electric
  7. drill — army training
  8. rock — to move gently
  9. wave — with your hand
  10. wave — of the sea
  11. rock — music
  12. race — the arms race
  13. wave — a sudden rise
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. drill — the tool
  16. current — of water
  17. branch — a division
  18. stand — on your feet
  19. branch — of a bank
  20. branch — of a tree
  21. drill — a practice
  22. stand — to bear
  23. current — happening now
  24. race — a contest

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