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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: mark · current · branch · court · object · straw · cap · vault

  1. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  2. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  3. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  4. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  5. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  6. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  7. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. The ball is in your ________________.
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  15. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  16. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  17. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  18. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  19. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  20. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  21. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  22. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  23. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  24. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of law
  2. object — to protest
  3. current — happening now
  4. branch — of a bank
  5. straw — dry grass
  6. vault — a safe
  7. object — an aim
  8. branch — a division
  9. court — for sport
  10. mark — a trace
  11. straw — a straw man
  12. current — electric
  13. mark — a grade
  14. mark — to pay attention
  15. cap — of ice
  16. straw — to clutch at straws
  17. cap — a lid
  18. court — of a king
  19. object — a thing
  20. vault — in gymnastics
  21. vault — an arched ceiling
  22. cap — a hat
  23. current — of water
  24. branch — of a tree

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