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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: net · branch · current · stick · race · last · fine · dip

  1. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  2. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  6. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  9. False peace will not ________________.
  10. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  11. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  12. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  13. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  18. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  19. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  24. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a bank
  2. net — after costs
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. current — of water
  5. fine — a penalty
  6. last — finally
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. last — final
  9. last — to go on
  10. fine — all right
  11. race — a contest
  12. net — for catching
  13. fine — high quality
  14. branch — a division
  15. dip — a sauce
  16. current — happening now
  17. net — in sport
  18. race — humankind
  19. dip — to sink
  20. current — electric
  21. dip — to dunk
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. race — the arms race
  24. branch — of a tree

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