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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: roll · deal · suit · current · branch · mine · coach · band

  1. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  2. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  3. When will it ________________ you to start?
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  8. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  11. We're on a ________________ here.
  12. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  13. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  14. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  15. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  16. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  17. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  18. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  19. Have you met the new head ________________?
  20. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  21. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  22. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  23. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  24. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. current — happening now
  2. coach — pulled by horses
  3. suit — to fit
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. current — electric
  6. branch — a division
  7. mine — belonging to me
  8. roll — a list
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. roll — a cake
  11. roll — on a roll
  12. deal — an agreement
  13. current — of water
  14. band — a ring
  15. mine — for digging
  16. mine — an explosive
  17. band — a rubber band
  18. deal — to handle
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. suit — in cards
  21. suit — clothes
  22. branch — of a bank
  23. deal — a big deal
  24. band — a music group

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