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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 116 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: capital · branch · march · rash · stem · current

  1. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  4. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  5. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  6. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  7. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  8. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  11. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  12. Don't do anything ________________.
  13. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  14. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  15. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  16. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.

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

Answer key

  1. current — happening now
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. march — the month
  4. march — the month
  5. branch — a division
  6. stem — to come from
  7. capital — money
  8. rash — on the skin
  9. current — of water
  10. rash — a series
  11. march — music
  12. rash — hasty
  13. branch — of a tree
  14. capital — a big letter
  15. stem — of a plant
  16. capital — a city
  17. current — electric
  18. stem — a stem cell

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