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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 · rest · staff · scale · fall · ruler · fork · branch

  1. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  2. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  3. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  4. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  5. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  6. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  7. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  8. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  9. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  10. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  11. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  12. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  13. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  14. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  15. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  16. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  17. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  18. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  19. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  20. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  21. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  22. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  23. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. current — happening now
  2. fork — in a road
  3. fall — the season
  4. staff — employees
  5. rest — what's left
  6. staff — a stick
  7. fork — a garden tool
  8. branch — of a bank
  9. ruler — a monarch
  10. rest — a break
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. scale — for weighing
  13. current — of water
  14. rest — what's left
  15. fall — to drop
  16. branch — of a tree
  17. fork — to eat with
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. current — electric
  20. scale — in music
  21. staff — employees
  22. fall — to drop
  23. scale — size or range
  24. branch — a division

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