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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 116 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 · pop · prune · current · field · snap · mark · swing

  1. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  4. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  5. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  6. You don't need to ________________ round.
  7. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  10. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  11. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  12. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  15. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  16. We're almost out of ________________.
  17. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  18. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  19. David sat on the ________________.
  20. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  21. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  22. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  23. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. current — electric
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. field — for sport
  4. field — a subject
  5. snap — to speak sharply
  6. pop — to visit
  7. snap — to snap out of it
  8. current — happening now
  9. mark — a grade
  10. mark — to pay attention
  11. field — farmland
  12. swing — in golf
  13. mark — a trace
  14. snap — to click
  15. pop — music
  16. pop — soda
  17. prune — the fruit
  18. swing — music
  19. swing — to play on
  20. current — of water
  21. prune — to trim
  22. prune — to trim
  23. branch — of a tree
  24. branch — a division

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