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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 116 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 · field · rash · present · mark · current · ball · kick

  1. Don't do anything ________________.
  2. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  6. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  7. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  8. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  9. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  10. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  11. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  14. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  15. The King held a masked ________________.
  16. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  17. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  18. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  19. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  20. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  21. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  22. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  23. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — hasty
  2. current — electric
  3. ball — a round shape
  4. mark — a trace
  5. branch — of a tree
  6. present — there
  7. field — for sport
  8. rash — a series
  9. present — a gift
  10. mark — a grade
  11. field — farmland
  12. current — of water
  13. branch — of a bank
  14. mark — to pay attention
  15. ball — a dance
  16. present — the time now
  17. rash — on the skin
  18. kick — with a leg
  19. kick — in football
  20. ball — a great time
  21. field — a subject
  22. kick — a thrill
  23. current — happening now
  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