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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 · track · perch · chip · shower · dip · branch · current

  1. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  2. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  4. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  5. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  6. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  7. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  8. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  9. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  12. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  15. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  16. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  19. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  20. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  21. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  24. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a bank
  2. current — of water
  3. dip — to dunk
  4. perch — the fish
  5. dip — a sauce
  6. chip — for betting
  7. branch — a division
  8. track — a path
  9. shower — to wash
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. shower — rain
  12. track — a song
  13. track — to keep track
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. branch — of a tree
  17. current — happening now
  18. shower — a meteor shower
  19. coach — pulled by horses
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. chip — in a computer
  22. current — electric
  23. chip — to eat
  24. dip — to sink

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