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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Have you found your soul ________________?
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  7. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  8. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  9. The ________________ market has crashed.
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  13. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  14. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  19. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  20. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  21. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  22. The tickets are free of ________________.
  23. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  24. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a partner
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. degree — from a university
  4. branch — a division
  5. charge — in control
  6. cap — a lid
  7. charge — electricity
  8. mate — to breed
  9. stock — shares
  10. current — of water
  11. current — happening now
  12. stock — a soup base
  13. degree — an amount
  14. cap — a hat
  15. current — electric
  16. stock — goods
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. cap — of ice
  19. branch — of a tree
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. mouse — for a computer
  22. charge — a price
  23. degree — temperature
  24. mate — a friend

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