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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: rock · ground · current · cell · craft · branch · sharp · suit

  1. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  2. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  5. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  6. He was locked up in a ________________.
  7. When will it ________________ you to start?
  8. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  11. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  12. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  13. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  16. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  17. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  18. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  19. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  20. It's one o'clock ________________.
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. There's no middle ________________.
  23. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  24. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — in cards
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. current — electric
  4. craft — boats
  5. sharp — clever
  6. cell — in a prison
  7. suit — to fit
  8. rock — a stone
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. current — happening now
  11. current — of water
  12. suit — clothes
  13. branch — of a tree
  14. branch — a division
  15. cell — a phone
  16. ground — the earth
  17. branch — of a bank
  18. craft — a handicraft
  19. ground — crushed
  20. sharp — exactly
  21. rock — music
  22. ground — a position
  23. craft — a skill
  24. cell — in biology

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