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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: jam · craft · band · net · race · toast · branch · current

  1. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  2. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  3. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  4. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  5. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  6. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  7. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  8. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  9. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  10. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  11. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  14. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  17. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  18. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  19. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  20. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  21. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  22. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  23. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — in traffic
  2. net — for catching
  3. race — humankind
  4. jam — to spread on bread
  5. band — a rubber band
  6. branch — of a bank
  7. band — a music group
  8. net — after costs
  9. craft — boats
  10. branch — of a tree
  11. race — a contest
  12. current — of water
  13. toast — bread
  14. current — happening now
  15. current — electric
  16. jam — a tight spot
  17. craft — a skill
  18. race — the arms race
  19. craft — a handicraft
  20. net — in sport
  21. toast — a drink to someone
  22. toast — the most admired
  23. band — a ring
  24. branch — a division

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