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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 116 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.

Words on the sheet
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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: plane · branch · sharp · bowl · snap · current · cell · pitcher

  1. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  2. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  4. He is an ace ________________.
  5. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  6. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  7. The ________________ took off on time.
  8. It's one o'clock ________________.
  9. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. He was locked up in a ________________.
  12. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  13. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  14. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  15. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  16. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  17. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  18. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  19. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  20. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  21. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  22. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  23. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  24. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. current — happening now
  2. current — electric
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. pitcher — in baseball
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. bowl — to roll
  7. plane — an aircraft
  8. sharp — exactly
  9. bowl — a football final
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. cell — in a prison
  12. snap — to speak sharply
  13. branch — of a tree
  14. sharp — with an edge
  15. branch — a division
  16. plane — a tool
  17. current — of water
  18. snap — to click
  19. bowl — a dish
  20. sharp — clever
  21. cell — in biology
  22. snap — to snap out of it
  23. cell — a phone
  24. plane — in geometry

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