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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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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 · rest · wind · vault · content · field · stick

  1. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  2. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  3. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  6. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  7. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  8. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  9. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  10. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  11. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  12. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  13. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  14. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  15. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  16. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  17. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  18. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  19. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  20. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  21. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  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. content — the amount
  2. rest — what's left
  3. field — a subject
  4. branch — a division
  5. current — of water
  6. wind — moving air
  7. rest — what's left
  8. rest — a break
  9. field — farmland
  10. vault — in gymnastics
  11. content — videos and posts
  12. current — happening now
  13. vault — a safe
  14. wind — moving air
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. content — happy
  17. vault — an arched ceiling
  18. branch — of a bank
  19. wind — to turn a key
  20. stick — to attach or keep to
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. current — electric
  23. field — for sport
  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