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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 116 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: march · mouse · bowl · plane · branch · deal · current · stick

  1. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  2. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. The ________________ took off on time.
  4. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  5. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  6. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  10. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  11. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  12. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  13. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  14. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  15. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  18. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  19. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  20. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  21. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  22. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  23. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  24. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a bank
  2. current — electric
  3. plane — an aircraft
  4. march — music
  5. deal — to handle
  6. plane — a tool
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. march — the month
  10. deal — an agreement
  11. branch — of a tree
  12. bowl — a dish
  13. branch — a division
  14. march — the month
  15. mouse — for a computer
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. bowl — to roll
  18. current — happening now
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. current — of water
  21. deal — a big deal
  22. plane — in geometry
  23. bowl — a football final
  24. mouse — the animal

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