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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 120 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: rock · mate · cap · object · bore · current · branch · club

  1. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  2. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  3. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  4. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  5. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  8. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  9. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  10. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  11. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  12. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  13. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  16. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  17. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  18. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  19. Have you found your soul ________________?
  20. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  21. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  22. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  23. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  24. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a friend
  2. branch — of a tree
  3. object — to protest
  4. bore — to tire
  5. club — for golf
  6. rock — music
  7. cap — of ice
  8. current — electric
  9. mate — to breed
  10. object — an aim
  11. bore — gave birth
  12. current — happening now
  13. cap — a hat
  14. branch — a division
  15. club — for dancing
  16. object — a thing
  17. club — a group
  18. cap — a lid
  19. mate — a partner
  20. bore — to drill
  21. rock — a stone
  22. current — of water
  23. rock — to move gently
  24. branch — of a bank

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