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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: mate · current · chip · key · tear · racket · drill · branch

  1. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  2. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  4. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  5. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  6. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  7. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  8. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  9. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  12. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  13. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  14. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  15. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  16. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  17. This piece is in a major ________________.
  18. Have you found your soul ________________?
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  21. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  22. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  23. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  24. There's a computer ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — to rip
  2. current — electric
  3. current — happening now
  4. mate — a friend
  5. chip — for betting
  6. drill — a practice
  7. branch — a division
  8. drill — army training
  9. tear — from crying
  10. current — of water
  11. drill — the tool
  12. tear — from crying
  13. branch — of a tree
  14. chip — to eat
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. key — in music
  18. mate — a partner
  19. key — the most important part
  20. branch — of a bank
  21. key — for a lock
  22. racket — a loud noise
  23. mate — to breed
  24. chip — in a computer

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