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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: bank · hand · mug · current · bass · branch · net · stand

  1. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  2. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  3. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  6. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  7. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  10. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  11. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  12. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  13. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  14. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  15. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  16. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  17. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  18. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  19. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  20. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  21. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  22. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  23. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  24. Where did you ________________ them?

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

Answer key

  1. branch — a division
  2. hand — help
  3. bank — of a river
  4. stand — to bear
  5. bass — the fish
  6. net — in sport
  7. current — electric
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. hand — in cards
  10. current — happening now
  11. current — of water
  12. bank — for money
  13. net — after costs
  14. bank — for money
  15. bass — low music
  16. branch — of a tree
  17. hand — part of the body
  18. bass — the instrument
  19. net — for catching
  20. mug — a cup
  21. mug — a face
  22. stand — on your feet
  23. branch — of a bank
  24. mug — to rob

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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