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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: rush · rash · branch · current · bass · pit · foot · capital

  1. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  2. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  3. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  10. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  11. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  12. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  13. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  14. Don't do anything ________________.
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  17. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  18. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  19. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  20. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  21. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  22. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  23. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  24. Let us try to swim against the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — a division
  2. foot — the bottom
  3. pit — in a race
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. pit — a fruit stone
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. rush — hurry
  9. bass — low music
  10. capital — money
  11. bass — the fish
  12. capital — a big letter
  13. branch — of a bank
  14. rash — hasty
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. rash — a series
  17. pit — a hole
  18. rash — on the skin
  19. current — happening now
  20. foot — part of the body
  21. foot — a measure
  22. capital — a city
  23. current — electric
  24. current — of water

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