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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: branch · squash · current · mine · lean · hand · pitcher · rock

  1. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  2. He is an ace ________________.
  3. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  4. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  5. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  6. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  7. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  8. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  9. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  12. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  13. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  14. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  15. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  18. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  19. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  20. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  21. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  22. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  23. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  24. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.

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

Answer key

  1. current — electric
  2. pitcher — in baseball
  3. branch — a division
  4. squash — to crush
  5. hand — help
  6. hand — part of the body
  7. squash — the vegetable
  8. hand — in cards
  9. rock — music
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. rock — a stone
  12. squash — the sport
  13. mine — belonging to me
  14. branch — of a tree
  15. mine — an explosive
  16. current — happening now
  17. current — of water
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. lean — thin
  20. rock — to move gently
  21. mine — for digging
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. lean — to bend
  24. lean — to rest against

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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