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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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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: board · trunk · branch · wake · current · mate · field · pass

  1. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  2. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  7. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  8. Have you found your soul ________________?
  9. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  10. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  11. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  12. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  13. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  14. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  15. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  18. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  19. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  22. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  23. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  24. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — a division
  2. current — electric
  3. board — a committee
  4. current — happening now
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. trunk — of a tree
  7. pass — to succeed
  8. mate — a partner
  9. mate — a friend
  10. pass — a permit
  11. trunk — of an elephant
  12. field — for sport
  13. pass — to spend time
  14. trunk — of a car
  15. field — a subject
  16. current — of water
  17. board — to get on
  18. branch — of a bank
  19. board — a flat piece
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. wake — a trail
  22. branch — of a tree
  23. field — farmland
  24. mate — to breed

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