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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: cabinet · rush · current · scale · land · row · branch · object

  1. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  2. That must've been a ________________.
  3. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  4. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  5. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. When are we going to ________________?
  8. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  11. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  12. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  15. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  16. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  23. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  24. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?

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

Answer key

  1. current — electric
  2. rush — a thrill
  3. branch — a division
  4. row — a quarrel
  5. current — of water
  6. current — happening now
  7. land — to come down
  8. branch — of a bank
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. scale — in music
  11. row — to paddle
  12. land — a country
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. scale — size or range
  15. land — ground
  16. object — a thing
  17. rush — hurry
  18. row — a line
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. object — an aim
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. branch — of a tree
  23. scale — for weighing
  24. object — to protest

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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