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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: snap · file · clip · current · bear · pitch · rash · branch

  1. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  2. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  3. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  4. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  5. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  6. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  7. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  8. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  13. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  14. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  15. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  16. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  19. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  20. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  21. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  22. Don't do anything ________________.
  23. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  24. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a tree
  2. pitch — a sports field
  3. clip — for paper
  4. pitch — a sales talk
  5. current — of water
  6. branch — of a bank
  7. file — a document
  8. pitch — completely
  9. current — electric
  10. current — happening now
  11. bear — the animal
  12. file — a line of people
  13. rash — on the skin
  14. clip — to cut
  15. rash — a series
  16. clip — a video
  17. branch — a division
  18. snap — to click
  19. bear — to put up with
  20. snap — to speak sharply
  21. file — a tool
  22. rash — hasty
  23. bear — the animal
  24. snap — to snap out of it

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