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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: branch · current · date · temple · jam · chip · object · cue

  1. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  2. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  3. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  4. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  9. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  10. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  11. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  12. When was this ________________ built?
  13. Have you settled on a ________________?
  14. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  17. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  18. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  19. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  20. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  21. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  22. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  23. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  24. There's a computer ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. date — the fruit
  2. object — to protest
  3. jam — to spread on bread
  4. cue — a signal
  5. current — happening now
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. current — of water
  8. current — electric
  9. branch — a division
  10. temple — side of the head
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. chip — to eat
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. object — an aim
  17. object — a thing
  18. chip — for betting
  19. cue — a hint
  20. cue — for pool
  21. jam — in traffic
  22. branch — of a bank
  23. jam — a tight spot
  24. chip — in a computer

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