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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 · mate · shower · club · roll · current · toast · bay

  1. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  2. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  3. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  4. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  5. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  6. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  7. My mare is ________________ in color.
  8. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  9. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  10. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  11. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. Have you found your soul ________________?
  14. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  15. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  16. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  17. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  18. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  19. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  20. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  21. We're on a ________________ here.
  22. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  23. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  24. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

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

Answer key

  1. club — for dancing
  2. toast — a drink to someone
  3. branch — of a bank
  4. roll — a list
  5. roll — a cake
  6. shower — rain
  7. bay — a horse colour
  8. mate — to breed
  9. club — for golf
  10. current — electric
  11. bay — a part of the sea
  12. branch — a division
  13. mate — a partner
  14. shower — a meteor shower
  15. toast — the most admired
  16. bay — to keep at bay
  17. club — a group
  18. shower — to wash
  19. current — of water
  20. toast — bread
  21. roll — on a roll
  22. branch — of a tree
  23. current — happening now
  24. mate — a friend

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