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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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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: field · net · branch · arm · can · snap · current · bank

  1. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  2. My father caught me by the ________________.
  3. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  4. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  5. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  6. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  11. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  14. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  15. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  16. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  17. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  18. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  19. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  20. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  21. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  22. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  23. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  24. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a bank
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. branch — a division
  4. net — in sport
  5. arm — a part of something
  6. bank — of a river
  7. current — happening now
  8. branch — of a tree
  9. can — a tin
  10. current — electric
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. can — to be able to
  13. snap — to snap out of it
  14. snap — to speak sharply
  15. field — a subject
  16. net — for catching
  17. field — farmland
  18. bank — for money
  19. net — after costs
  20. can — a tin
  21. bank — for money
  22. snap — to click
  23. current — of water
  24. field — for sport

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