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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: present · current · branch · bark · rest · stick · pitcher · race

  1. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  2. He is an ace ________________.
  3. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  6. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  9. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  14. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  15. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  16. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  17. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  18. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  19. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  20. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  21. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  22. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  23. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  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. pitcher — a jug
  2. pitcher — in baseball
  3. rest — what's left
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. rest — what's left
  6. bark — to shout
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. bark — of a tree
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. rest — a break
  12. current — electric
  13. branch — a division
  14. current — happening now
  15. race — humankind
  16. bark — a dog's sound
  17. race — the arms race
  18. present — there
  19. branch — of a tree
  20. present — the time now
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. present — a gift
  23. race — a contest
  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