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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: coach · branch · net · current · object · march · bore · arm

  1. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  2. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  5. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  13. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  14. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  15. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  16. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  17. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  18. My father caught me by the ________________.
  19. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  20. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  23. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  24. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — a part of something
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. current — electric
  4. object — to protest
  5. net — in sport
  6. branch — a division
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. march — music
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. object — a thing
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. bore — gave birth
  13. march — the month
  14. net — after costs
  15. bore — to drill
  16. branch — of a tree
  17. bore — to tire
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. net — for catching
  20. object — an aim
  21. current — of water
  22. march — the month
  23. branch — of a bank
  24. current — happening now

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