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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 120 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: board · current · deal · season · bark · branch · bank · pop

  1. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  2. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  3. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  4. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  5. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  6. We're almost out of ________________.
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  9. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  10. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  15. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  16. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  17. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  18. You don't need to ________________ round.
  19. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  20. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  21. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  22. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  23. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  24. Did you ________________ the meat?

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

Answer key

  1. current — electric
  2. branch — a division
  3. branch — of a bank
  4. bark — a dog's sound
  5. bank — for money
  6. pop — soda
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. current — of water
  9. bark — of a tree
  10. bank — of a river
  11. board — a committee
  12. deal — to handle
  13. current — happening now
  14. season — of the year
  15. pop — music
  16. season — in sport
  17. deal — a big deal
  18. pop — to visit
  19. board — to get on
  20. branch — of a tree
  21. bank — for money
  22. bark — to shout
  23. deal — an agreement
  24. season — to add flavour

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