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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: bear · club · spring · branch · pit · spell · drill · current

  1. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  2. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  3. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  4. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  5. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  6. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  7. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  8. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  9. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  10. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  11. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  12. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  13. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  16. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  17. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  18. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  19. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  20. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  23. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  24. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — of water
  2. club — for dancing
  3. spell — a short time
  4. spell — magic
  5. drill — the tool
  6. bear — the animal
  7. pit — a fruit stone
  8. spring — the season
  9. pit — a hole
  10. spring — a coil
  11. branch — of a bank
  12. bear — to put up with
  13. branch — a division
  14. current — electric
  15. club — a group
  16. club — for golf
  17. bear — the animal
  18. branch — of a tree
  19. drill — a practice
  20. current — of water
  21. spell — letters
  22. drill — army training
  23. pit — in a race
  24. current — happening now

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