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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: hand · branch · current · sharp · race · rush · racket · key

  1. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  2. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  4. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  12. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. This piece is in a major ________________.
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  17. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  18. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  19. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  20. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  21. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  22. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  23. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  24. He hit the ball with his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — a division
  2. current — electric
  3. key — for a lock
  4. race — humankind
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. key — the most important part
  7. current — of water
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. race — the arms race
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. hand — part of the body
  12. branch — of a tree
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. key — in music
  15. rush — hurry
  16. sharp — with an edge
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. hand — help
  19. race — a contest
  20. sharp — clever
  21. current — happening now
  22. racket — a loud noise
  23. hand — in cards
  24. racket — for tennis

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