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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: current · branch · fork · band · spell · mark · leaves · craft

  1. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  2. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  4. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  5. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  6. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  7. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  10. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  11. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  14. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  15. How do you ________________ your surname?
  16. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  17. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  18. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  19. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  20. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  21. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  22. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  23. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  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. mark — to pay attention
  2. current — of water
  3. current — happening now
  4. craft — boats
  5. branch — a division
  6. current — electric
  7. mark — a trace
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. craft — a skill
  10. fork — a garden tool
  11. fork — to eat with
  12. spell — magic
  13. band — a rubber band
  14. leaves — lets stay
  15. spell — letters
  16. band — a music group
  17. fork — in a road
  18. craft — a handicraft
  19. branch — of a bank
  20. mark — a grade
  21. leaves — to go away
  22. spell — a short time
  23. band — a ring
  24. branch — of a tree

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