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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 · rest · rush · current · prune · field · branch · rock

  1. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  2. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  4. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  5. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  6. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  7. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  10. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  14. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  20. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  23. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  24. I would like to have a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a rubber band
  2. current — of water
  3. rest — what's left
  4. current — electric
  5. prune — to trim
  6. prune — to trim
  7. band — a ring
  8. branch — a division
  9. rest — what's left
  10. field — farmland
  11. current — happening now
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. prune — the fruit
  14. field — for sport
  15. rock — a stone
  16. band — a music group
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. field — a subject
  20. branch — of a bank
  21. rush — hurry
  22. branch — of a tree
  23. rock — music
  24. rest — a break

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