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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: content · pitcher · branch · mate · chip · club · board · current

  1. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  2. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  5. He is an ace ________________.
  6. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  7. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  11. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  14. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  15. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  16. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  17. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  18. Have you found your soul ________________?
  19. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  20. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  21. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  22. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  23. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  24. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. current — electric
  2. content — the amount
  3. current — of water
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. pitcher — in baseball
  6. club — a group
  7. branch — a division
  8. current — happening now
  9. board — a committee
  10. chip — for betting
  11. club — for dancing
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. content — happy
  14. mate — to breed
  15. chip — in a computer
  16. content — videos and posts
  17. branch — of a bank
  18. mate — a partner
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. mate — a friend
  21. board — to get on
  22. chip — to eat
  23. branch — of a tree
  24. club — for golf

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