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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: current · bay · cap · press · scale · cell · branch · fan

  1. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  2. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. My mare is ________________ in color.
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  6. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  7. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  10. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  11. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  12. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  13. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  14. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  15. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  16. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  17. He was locked up in a ________________.
  18. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  19. Did you ________________ the button?
  20. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  21. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  24. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. current — of water
  3. bay — a horse colour
  4. current — happening now
  5. cell — a phone
  6. press — a publisher
  7. cap — of ice
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. scale — in music
  10. scale — for weighing
  11. branch — a division
  12. branch — of a tree
  13. cell — in biology
  14. cap — a lid
  15. cap — a hat
  16. press — newspapers
  17. cell — in a prison
  18. bay — to keep at bay
  19. press — to push
  20. bay — a part of the sea
  21. branch — of a bank
  22. current — electric
  23. fan — to cool the air
  24. scale — size or range

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