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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: stick · charge · cell · bowl · current · bass · branch · race

  1. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  2. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  6. He was locked up in a ________________.
  7. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  8. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  9. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  10. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  14. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  15. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  18. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  19. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  20. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  21. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  24. The tickets are free of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in biology
  2. current — electric
  3. branch — of a bank
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. current — of water
  6. cell — in a prison
  7. bowl — to roll
  8. race — humankind
  9. bass — the fish
  10. bass — the instrument
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. charge — electricity
  13. race — the arms race
  14. cell — a phone
  15. race — a contest
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. charge — in control
  18. bowl — a dish
  19. branch — of a tree
  20. bowl — a football final
  21. bass — low music
  22. current — happening now
  23. branch — a division
  24. charge — a price

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