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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: branch · saw · current · snap · racket · ground · pound · cap

  1. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. There's no middle ________________.
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  6. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  7. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  8. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  9. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  10. She's very handy with a ________________.
  11. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  12. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  15. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  16. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  17. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  18. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  19. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  20. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  21. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  22. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  23. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  24. Add some ________________ pepper to it.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — a division
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. ground — a position
  4. saw — the tool
  5. saw — past of 'see'
  6. snap — to speak sharply
  7. pound — to hit hard
  8. pound — a weight
  9. cap — a hat
  10. saw — the tool
  11. branch — of a tree
  12. cap — a lid
  13. current — happening now
  14. snap — to snap out of it
  15. pound — for dogs
  16. ground — the earth
  17. racket — a loud noise
  18. cap — of ice
  19. current — electric
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. snap — to click
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. current — of water
  24. ground — crushed

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