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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: band · net · stick · current · branch · drill · nail · date

  1. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  2. Have you settled on a ________________?
  3. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  4. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  5. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  6. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  9. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  14. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  15. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  16. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  19. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  20. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  21. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  22. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  23. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  24. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — to attach or keep to
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. net — for catching
  4. band — a rubber band
  5. current — of water
  6. band — a ring
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. band — a music group
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. date — the fruit
  12. net — after costs
  13. branch — of a tree
  14. current — happening now
  15. net — in sport
  16. drill — a practice
  17. current — electric
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. drill — the tool
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. drill — army training
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. branch — a division
  24. branch — of a bank

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