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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: bass · season · rest · branch · drill · ground · current · bowl

  1. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  2. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  5. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  6. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  7. Did you ________________ the meat?
  8. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  9. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  13. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  14. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  15. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  16. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  17. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  18. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  19. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  20. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  21. There's no middle ________________.
  22. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  23. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  24. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — a break
  2. bass — low music
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. bowl — to roll
  5. bass — the fish
  6. season — in sport
  7. season — to add flavour
  8. drill — the tool
  9. bowl — a dish
  10. current — of water
  11. current — happening now
  12. rest — what's left
  13. bowl — a football final
  14. season — of the year
  15. drill — a practice
  16. bass — the instrument
  17. drill — army training
  18. branch — of a bank
  19. current — electric
  20. branch — a division
  21. ground — a position
  22. ground — crushed
  23. ground — the earth
  24. rest — what's left

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