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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 116 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: content · bowl · spring · rock · current · branch · scale · band

  1. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  5. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  8. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  9. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  10. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  11. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  12. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  13. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  14. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  15. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  16. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  17. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  18. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  19. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  20. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  21. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  22. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  23. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  24. The flowers bloom in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — to move gently
  2. band — a music group
  3. current — electric
  4. rock — music
  5. current — of water
  6. current — happening now
  7. scale — for weighing
  8. branch — of a bank
  9. branch — a division
  10. content — the amount
  11. scale — in music
  12. rock — a stone
  13. scale — size or range
  14. branch — of a tree
  15. spring — of water
  16. band — a ring
  17. band — a rubber band
  18. content — videos and posts
  19. bowl — to roll
  20. bowl — a football final
  21. content — happy
  22. bowl — a dish
  23. spring — a coil
  24. spring — the season

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