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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: perch · land · current · ruler · vault · club · track · branch

  1. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  2. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  6. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  7. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  8. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  11. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  12. When are we going to ________________?
  13. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  14. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  15. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  16. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  17. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  18. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  19. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  20. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  21. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  22. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  23. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  24. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — a division
  2. club — a group
  3. current — of water
  4. current — happening now
  5. land — a country
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. branch — of a bank
  8. vault — in gymnastics
  9. track — a path
  10. track — to keep track
  11. land — ground
  12. land — to come down
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. branch — of a tree
  15. track — a song
  16. vault — an arched ceiling
  17. perch — the fish
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. club — for dancing
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. club — for golf
  22. ruler — a monarch
  23. vault — a safe
  24. current — electric

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