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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: scale · cabinet · band · jam · current · temple · branch · chip

  1. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  2. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  5. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  6. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  9. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  10. When was this ________________ built?
  11. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  12. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  13. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  14. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  15. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  16. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  21. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  22. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  23. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  24. There's a computer ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. band — a music group
  3. current — electric
  4. scale — in music
  5. branch — a division
  6. jam — a tight spot
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. current — of water
  9. branch — of a tree
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. branch — of a bank
  12. scale — for weighing
  13. temple — side of the head
  14. band — a rubber band
  15. chip — to eat
  16. band — a ring
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. current — happening now
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. chip — for betting
  21. scale — size or range
  22. jam — in traffic
  23. jam — to spread on bread
  24. chip — in a computer

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