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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 · club · pass · current · wave · field · cabinet · fan

  1. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  6. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  7. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  8. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  9. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  14. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  15. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  16. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  19. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  20. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  21. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  22. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  23. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  24. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. field — a subject
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. field — for sport
  6. pass — a permit
  7. club — for dancing
  8. club — a group
  9. wave — of the sea
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. branch — a division
  12. current — electric
  13. wave — with your hand
  14. club — for golf
  15. wave — a sudden rise
  16. pass — to succeed
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. fan — to cool the air
  19. pass — to spend time
  20. cabinet — a cupboard
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. current — of water
  23. current — happening now
  24. field — farmland

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