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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 120 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 · march · craft · branch · shower · trunk · pound · deal

  1. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  2. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  3. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  4. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  5. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  6. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  7. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  10. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  11. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  12. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  13. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  14. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  17. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  18. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  19. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  20. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  21. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  24. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a tree
  2. march — the month
  3. pound — to hit hard
  4. deal — a big deal
  5. trunk — of an elephant
  6. craft — boats
  7. shower — to wash
  8. branch — a division
  9. deal — to handle
  10. trunk — of a car
  11. current — of water
  12. shower — a meteor shower
  13. craft — a handicraft
  14. pound — for dogs
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. march — the month
  17. march — music
  18. shower — rain
  19. deal — an agreement
  20. pound — a weight
  21. branch — of a bank
  22. current — happening now
  23. current — electric
  24. craft — a skill

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