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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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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: pass · bass · perch · current · kid · kick · mate · branch

  1. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  2. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  6. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  7. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  8. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  9. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  10. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  11. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  12. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  13. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  14. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  15. Have you found your soul ________________?
  16. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  17. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  18. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  19. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  20. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  21. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  22. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  23. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  24. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to spend time
  2. kick — with a leg
  3. current — electric
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. branch — a division
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. bass — low music
  9. branch — of a bank
  10. bass — the fish
  11. kick — a thrill
  12. pass — a permit
  13. kick — in football
  14. mate — to breed
  15. mate — a partner
  16. bass — the instrument
  17. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  18. pass — to succeed
  19. kid — to tease
  20. current — of water
  21. mate — a friend
  22. kid — child
  23. current — happening now
  24. perch — the fish

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