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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: pound · stick · key · branch · current · kick · mouse · staff

  1. This piece is in a major ________________.
  2. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  3. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  4. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  5. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  6. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  14. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  15. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  18. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  19. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  20. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  21. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  22. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  23. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  24. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.

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

Answer key

  1. key — in music
  2. mouse — for a computer
  3. staff — employees
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. kick — with a leg
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. pound — for dogs
  9. current — of water
  10. stick — to attach or keep to
  11. key — the most important part
  12. branch — a division
  13. pound — a weight
  14. staff — employees
  15. staff — a stick
  16. current — happening now
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. pound — to hit hard
  19. current — electric
  20. key — for a lock
  21. kick — in football
  22. branch — of a bank
  23. branch — of a tree
  24. kick — a thrill

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