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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 120 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: craft · degree · branch · snap · mark · club · current · chair

  1. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  2. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  3. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  6. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  7. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  8. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  9. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  10. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  11. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  12. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  13. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  14. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  15. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  16. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  17. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  18. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  21. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  22. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  23. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  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. club — for golf
  2. snap — to speak sharply
  3. branch — a division
  4. mark — a trace
  5. current — of water
  6. club — a group
  7. current — electric
  8. chair — to sit on
  9. chair — a leader
  10. snap — to click
  11. club — for dancing
  12. mark — a grade
  13. branch — of a bank
  14. craft — a handicraft
  15. snap — to snap out of it
  16. degree — from a university
  17. craft — a skill
  18. degree — an amount
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. degree — temperature
  21. craft — boats
  22. branch — of a tree
  23. chair — a professorship
  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