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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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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 · branch · deal · current · snap · stand · pitcher · board

  1. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  2. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  3. He is an ace ________________.
  4. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  5. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  6. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  10. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  13. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  14. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  15. I can't ________________ this cold.
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  19. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  20. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  23. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  24. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to speak sharply
  2. stand — for spectators
  3. pitcher — in baseball
  4. rock — music
  5. branch — of a tree
  6. branch — of a bank
  7. board — to get on
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. branch — a division
  11. board — a committee
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. deal — to handle
  14. snap — to snap out of it
  15. stand — to bear
  16. current — happening now
  17. current — electric
  18. deal — an agreement
  19. snap — to click
  20. rock — a stone
  21. current — of water
  22. rock — to move gently
  23. deal — a big deal
  24. stand — on your feet

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