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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: mate · field · current · branch · rule · net · last · fall

  1. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  2. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  3. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  4. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  5. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  6. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  7. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  8. False peace will not ________________.
  9. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  10. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  11. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  12. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  13. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  14. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  17. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  18. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  19. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  20. Have you found your soul ________________?
  21. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  22. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  23. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  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. field — a subject
  3. mate — to breed
  4. net — in sport
  5. field — for sport
  6. last — final
  7. current — electric
  8. last — to go on
  9. fall — to drop
  10. rule — government
  11. net — after costs
  12. branch — of a bank
  13. net — for catching
  14. fall — to drop
  15. current — of water
  16. rule — a law
  17. mate — a friend
  18. branch — of a tree
  19. last — finally
  20. mate — a partner
  21. field — farmland
  22. fall — the season
  23. rule — to rule out
  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