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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: court · rule · current · dip · last · branch · kid · plane

  1. False peace will not ________________.
  2. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  3. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  8. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. The ________________ took off on time.
  11. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  12. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  13. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  14. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  15. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  16. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  17. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  18. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  19. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  20. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  21. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  22. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  23. The ball is in your ________________.
  24. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.

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

Answer key

  1. last — to go on
  2. rule — government
  3. plane — in geometry
  4. current — happening now
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. branch — a division
  7. rule — to rule out
  8. dip — to dunk
  9. current — of water
  10. plane — an aircraft
  11. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  12. rule — a law
  13. current — electric
  14. dip — a sauce
  15. kid — to tease
  16. kid — child
  17. last — final
  18. branch — of a tree
  19. court — of a king
  20. last — finally
  21. plane — a tool
  22. dip — to sink
  23. court — for sport
  24. court — of law

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