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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: spring · arm · branch · mark · firm · mine · chip · current

  1. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  2. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  4. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  5. My father caught me by the ________________.
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  8. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  9. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  10. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  11. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  14. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  17. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  18. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  19. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  20. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  21. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  22. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  23. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  24. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.

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

Answer key

  1. current — happening now
  2. current — of water
  3. firm — steady
  4. firm — decided
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. mark — a grade
  7. mine — for digging
  8. firm — a company
  9. branch — of a tree
  10. arm — a part of something
  11. mark — a trace
  12. branch — a division
  13. spring — the season
  14. mark — to pay attention
  15. current — electric
  16. spring — of water
  17. spring — a coil
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. branch — of a bank
  20. chip — to eat
  21. chip — in a computer
  22. chip — for betting
  23. mine — an explosive
  24. mine — belonging to me

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