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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: game · craft · branch · current · racket · stem · coach · mouse

  1. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  2. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  3. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  4. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  5. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  6. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  9. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  10. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  11. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  12. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  13. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  16. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  17. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  18. That was a fun ________________.
  19. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  22. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  23. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  24. Should I buy a wireless ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. game — a kind of play
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. craft — a skill
  4. branch — of a bank
  5. current — of water
  6. racket — a loud noise
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. branch — of a tree
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. current — electric
  11. craft — a handicraft
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. branch — a division
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. stem — a stem cell
  16. game — wild animals
  17. stem — of a plant
  18. game — a match
  19. craft — boats
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. stem — to come from
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. current — happening now
  24. mouse — for a computer

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