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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 120 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: wound · current · bass · rest · rock · branch · bowl · cell

  1. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  4. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  5. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  6. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  7. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  8. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  9. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  10. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  11. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  14. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  15. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  16. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  17. He was locked up in a ________________.
  18. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  19. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  20. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  21. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  22. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  23. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  24. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.

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

Answer key

  1. current — electric
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. wound — an injury
  4. wound — past of 'wind'
  5. current — of water
  6. rest — a break
  7. bowl — to roll
  8. wound — an injury
  9. rest — what's left
  10. branch — of a tree
  11. cell — in biology
  12. branch — a division
  13. bowl — a dish
  14. bass — low music
  15. cell — a phone
  16. rock — music
  17. cell — in a prison
  18. rock — to move gently
  19. bass — the instrument
  20. bass — the fish
  21. bowl — a football final
  22. rock — a stone
  23. current — happening now
  24. rest — what's left

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