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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: branch · bass · craft · date · deal · current · stick · lean

  1. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  4. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  5. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  6. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  7. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  8. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  9. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  10. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  11. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  12. Have you settled on a ________________?
  13. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  14. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  15. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  19. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  20. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  23. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  24. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. current — electric
  3. bass — low music
  4. bass — the instrument
  5. lean — thin
  6. lean — to bend
  7. craft — a skill
  8. current — of water
  9. branch — of a bank
  10. date — the fruit
  11. craft — boats
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. deal — an agreement
  14. deal — to handle
  15. craft — a handicraft
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. branch — of a tree
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. branch — a division
  20. lean — to rest against
  21. bass — the fish
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. current — happening now
  24. deal — a big deal

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