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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: game · stick · branch · wind · fan · pound · current · pass

  1. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  2. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  3. That was a fun ________________.
  4. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  5. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  6. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  7. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  8. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  9. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  10. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  14. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  17. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  18. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  19. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  20. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  21. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  22. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  23. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  24. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — a division
  2. pound — for dogs
  3. game — a match
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. game — wild animals
  6. wind — moving air
  7. branch — of a bank
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. pass — to spend time
  10. current — happening now
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. current — of water
  13. branch — of a tree
  14. pass — a permit
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. pass — to succeed
  18. game — a kind of play
  19. wind — moving air
  20. fan — to cool the air
  21. wind — to turn a key
  22. pound — a weight
  23. current — electric
  24. pound — to hit hard

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