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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: branch · racket · field · cap · bound · cue · current · arm

  1. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  2. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  3. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  4. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  5. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  6. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  7. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  8. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  9. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  10. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  13. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  14. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  17. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  18. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  19. That was ________________ to happen.
  20. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  21. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  22. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  23. My father caught me by the ________________.
  24. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a hint
  2. field — for sport
  3. cap — of ice
  4. branch — of a bank
  5. branch — a division
  6. cap — a lid
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. current — of water
  9. arm — a part of something
  10. cue — for pool
  11. current — happening now
  12. cap — a hat
  13. bound — obliged
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. current — electric
  16. field — farmland
  17. cue — a signal
  18. racket — a loud noise
  19. bound — certain
  20. branch — of a tree
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. bound — tied together
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. field — a subject

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