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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: dip · ruler · wake · current · field · branch · fan · present

  1. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  2. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  3. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  9. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  12. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  13. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  14. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  15. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  16. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  17. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  18. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  19. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  20. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  21. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  22. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  23. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  24. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.

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

Answer key

  1. current — electric
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. branch — a division
  4. current — of water
  5. wake — a trail
  6. branch — of a bank
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. present — there
  9. branch — of a tree
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. dip — to sink
  15. dip — to dunk
  16. field — for sport
  17. dip — a sauce
  18. current — happening now
  19. ruler — a monarch
  20. present — a gift
  21. field — farmland
  22. wake — before a funeral
  23. field — a subject
  24. present — the time 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