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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: current · fan · race · bear · net · cue · branch · charge

  1. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  2. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  5. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  6. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  7. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  8. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  9. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  12. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  17. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  19. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  20. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  21. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  24. The ball hit the back of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. net — after costs
  2. net — for catching
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. race — a contest
  5. branch — of a tree
  6. race — the arms race
  7. current — electric
  8. bear — the animal
  9. cue — a signal
  10. current — of water
  11. branch — a division
  12. bear — to put up with
  13. current — happening now
  14. fan — to cool the air
  15. charge — a price
  16. charge — electricity
  17. cue — a hint
  18. bear — the animal
  19. branch — of a bank
  20. cue — for pool
  21. race — humankind
  22. charge — in control
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. net — in sport

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