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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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 · racket · stand · pound · branch · game · capital · mine

  1. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  2. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  3. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  4. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  9. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  10. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  13. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  14. That was a fun ________________.
  15. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  16. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  19. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  20. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  21. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  22. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  23. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  24. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — a division
  2. stand — on your feet
  3. stand — for spectators
  4. mine — for digging
  5. stand — to bear
  6. branch — of a tree
  7. current — of water
  8. capital — money
  9. racket — a loud noise
  10. game — a kind of play
  11. current — happening now
  12. mine — an explosive
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. game — a match
  15. capital — a city
  16. pound — a weight
  17. current — electric
  18. branch — of a bank
  19. mine — belonging to me
  20. pound — for dogs
  21. pound — to hit hard
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. game — wild animals
  24. capital — a big letter

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