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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: branch · rock · current · wound · bulb · last · board · racket

  1. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. False peace will not ________________.
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  12. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  15. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  16. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  17. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  18. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  21. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  24. We ________________ up on opposing sides.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — to move gently
  2. current — of water
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. board — to get on
  5. branch — of a tree
  6. bulb — for light
  7. branch — of a bank
  8. bulb — for light
  9. last — to go on
  10. board — a committee
  11. last — final
  12. last — finally
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. racket — a loud noise
  15. branch — a division
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. wound — an injury
  18. wound — an injury
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. rock — music
  21. rock — a stone
  22. current — happening now
  23. current — electric
  24. wound — past of 'wind'

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