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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 · pitcher · kick · stand · bark · court · pop

  1. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  2. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  4. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  5. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  6. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  7. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  8. We're almost out of ________________.
  9. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  12. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  13. He is an ace ________________.
  14. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  17. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  18. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  19. You don't need to ________________ round.
  20. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  21. The ball is in your ________________.
  22. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  23. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  24. I can't ________________ this cold.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — music
  2. current — of water
  3. bark — of a tree
  4. kick — with a leg
  5. stand — for spectators
  6. stand — on your feet
  7. kick — a thrill
  8. pop — soda
  9. bark — a dog's sound
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. court — of a king
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. pitcher — in baseball
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. current — happening now
  16. court — of law
  17. kick — in football
  18. branch — of a tree
  19. pop — to visit
  20. branch — a division
  21. court — for sport
  22. bark — to shout
  23. current — electric
  24. stand — to bear

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