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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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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: object · branch · rule · field · current · bay · dip · kid

  1. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  2. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  3. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  4. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  8. My mare is ________________ in color.
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  11. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  14. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  15. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  16. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  19. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  20. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  21. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  22. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  23. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  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. dip — to dunk
  2. dip — to sink
  3. field — farmland
  4. rule — government
  5. current — happening now
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. branch — of a bank
  8. bay — a horse colour
  9. current — electric
  10. kid — child
  11. object — an aim
  12. current — of water
  13. rule — to rule out
  14. field — a subject
  15. dip — a sauce
  16. bay — to keep at bay
  17. branch — a division
  18. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  19. object — a thing
  20. kid — to tease
  21. branch — of a tree
  22. rule — a law
  23. object — to protest
  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