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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: tube · current · branch · bass · jam · mine · stick · perch

  1. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  2. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  3. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  4. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  7. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  8. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  9. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  10. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  11. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  12. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  13. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. I'll be taking the ________________.
  16. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  24. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — for digging
  2. tube — a container
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. current — happening now
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. branch — a division
  8. bass — low music
  9. bass — the instrument
  10. mine — belonging to me
  11. perch — the fish
  12. jam — to spread on bread
  13. branch — of a bank
  14. current — of water
  15. tube — the underground
  16. branch — of a tree
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. jam — in traffic
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. current — electric
  21. mine — an explosive
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. jam — a tight spot
  24. bass — the fish

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