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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: current · branch · spell · fork · pass · deal · land · rush

  1. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  2. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. When are we going to ________________?
  6. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  7. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  10. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  11. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  12. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  15. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  16. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  19. How do you ________________ your surname?
  20. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  21. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  22. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  23. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  24. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to succeed
  2. land — ground
  3. current — of water
  4. current — happening now
  5. land — to come down
  6. current — electric
  7. land — a country
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. spell — magic
  10. branch — a division
  11. branch — of a bank
  12. fork — to eat with
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. deal — an agreement
  15. spell — a short time
  16. pass — a permit
  17. rush — hurry
  18. deal — to handle
  19. spell — letters
  20. pass — to spend time
  21. branch — of a tree
  22. fork — in a road
  23. deal — a big deal
  24. fork — a garden tool

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