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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: bank · stock · branch · wax · current · bat · mug · bass

  1. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  2. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  3. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  4. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  5. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  6. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  7. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  8. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  9. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  10. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  11. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  12. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  13. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  14. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  15. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  16. The ________________ market has crashed.
  17. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  18. Where did you ________________ them?
  19. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  20. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  21. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  24. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.

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

Answer key

  1. current — of water
  2. bat — the animal
  3. wax — to grow
  4. stock — a soup base
  5. bat — for baseball
  6. bass — low music
  7. mug — a cup
  8. wax — in the ear
  9. stock — goods
  10. bank — for money
  11. bank — of a river
  12. bank — for money
  13. branch — a division
  14. wax — for sculpting
  15. branch — of a bank
  16. stock — shares
  17. bat — in an idiom
  18. mug — to rob
  19. bass — the fish
  20. mug — a face
  21. current — electric
  22. current — happening now
  23. bass — the instrument
  24. branch — of a tree

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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