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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: current · bear · mug · fall · branch · racket · spring · mark

  1. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  2. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  4. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  5. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  8. Where did you ________________ them?
  9. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  14. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  15. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  16. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  17. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  18. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  19. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  20. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  21. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  22. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  23. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  24. Let us try to swim against the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. mark — a grade
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. fall — to drop
  5. fall — to drop
  6. current — happening now
  7. mug — a cup
  8. mug — to rob
  9. fall — the season
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. current — electric
  13. mug — a face
  14. mark — to pay attention
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. branch — a division
  17. branch — of a tree
  18. racket — a loud noise
  19. mark — a trace
  20. spring — the season
  21. spring — a coil
  22. bear — the animal
  23. spring — of water
  24. current — of water

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