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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: plane · pound · can · mine · shower · court · current · branch

  1. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  2. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  10. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  11. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  15. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  16. The ________________ took off on time.
  17. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  18. The ball is in your ________________.
  19. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  20. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  21. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  22. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  23. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  24. He was blown up by a land ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — to hit hard
  2. shower — rain
  3. current — electric
  4. branch — of a bank
  5. can — to be able to
  6. can — a tin
  7. shower — a meteor shower
  8. current — happening now
  9. pound — a weight
  10. shower — to wash
  11. mine — for digging
  12. current — of water
  13. can — a tin
  14. plane — in geometry
  15. court — of law
  16. plane — an aircraft
  17. mine — belonging to me
  18. court — for sport
  19. court — of a king
  20. branch — a division
  21. branch — of a tree
  22. pound — for dogs
  23. plane — a tool
  24. mine — an explosive

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