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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: straw · wave · pop · branch · board · current · suit · scale

  1. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  2. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  3. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  6. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  7. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  8. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  9. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  10. We're almost out of ________________.
  11. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  14. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  19. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  20. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  21. You don't need to ________________ round.
  22. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  23. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  24. When will it ________________ you to start?

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

Answer key

  1. branch — a division
  2. suit — clothes
  3. wave — of the sea
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. straw — dry grass
  6. straw — a straw man
  7. scale — for weighing
  8. wave — a sudden rise
  9. branch — of a tree
  10. pop — soda
  11. pop — music
  12. board — to get on
  13. suit — in cards
  14. wave — with your hand
  15. current — electric
  16. current — happening now
  17. board — a committee
  18. scale — size or range
  19. branch — of a bank
  20. scale — in music
  21. pop — to visit
  22. current — of water
  23. straw — to clutch at straws
  24. suit — to fit

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