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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: ball · current · branch · land · ruler · hand · mark · content

  1. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  2. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  3. When are we going to ________________?
  4. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  5. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  6. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  7. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  8. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  9. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  10. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  11. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  12. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  13. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  14. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  15. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  18. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  19. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  20. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  21. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  24. The King held a masked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a great time
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. land — to come down
  4. branch — of a bank
  5. hand — part of the body
  6. current — of water
  7. hand — in cards
  8. content — happy
  9. current — happening now
  10. land — a country
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. branch — of a tree
  13. hand — help
  14. land — ground
  15. content — videos and posts
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. content — the amount
  18. mark — a grade
  19. mark — a trace
  20. mark — to pay attention
  21. ruler — a monarch
  22. current — electric
  23. branch — a division
  24. ball — a dance

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