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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: rest · foot · current · bass · branch · last · key · fan

  1. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  2. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  5. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  8. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  12. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  13. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  16. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  19. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  20. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  21. False peace will not ________________.
  22. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  23. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  24. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the fish
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. foot — a measure
  5. rest — a break
  6. key — the most important part
  7. bass — the instrument
  8. foot — the bottom
  9. key — in music
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. key — for a lock
  12. last — finally
  13. current — of water
  14. branch — a division
  15. rest — what's left
  16. branch — of a tree
  17. current — happening now
  18. bass — low music
  19. rest — what's left
  20. last — final
  21. last — to go on
  22. fan — to cool the air
  23. foot — part of the body
  24. current — electric

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