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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: charge · nail · branch · craft · date · jam · net · current

  1. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  2. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  3. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  4. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  5. Have you settled on a ________________?
  6. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  12. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  13. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  14. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  15. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  18. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  21. The tickets are free of ________________.
  22. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  23. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  24. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — in traffic
  2. net — in sport
  3. jam — to spread on bread
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. net — after costs
  9. current — electric
  10. current — of water
  11. craft — boats
  12. branch — of a bank
  13. net — for catching
  14. date — the fruit
  15. charge — electricity
  16. current — happening now
  17. charge — in control
  18. craft — a handicraft
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. branch — a division
  21. charge — a price
  22. jam — a tight spot
  23. craft — a skill
  24. branch — of a tree

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