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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: roll · cue · stand · mug · capital · spell · branch · current

  1. Where did you ________________ them?
  2. We're on a ________________ here.
  3. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  4. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  5. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  6. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  7. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  8. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  9. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  10. I can't ________________ this cold.
  11. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  12. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  13. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  14. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  15. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  22. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  23. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  24. He refilled his coffee ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — to rob
  2. roll — on a roll
  3. roll — a list
  4. spell — a short time
  5. spell — magic
  6. cue — a signal
  7. branch — of a bank
  8. cue — a hint
  9. cue — for pool
  10. stand — to bear
  11. branch — a division
  12. branch — of a tree
  13. mug — a face
  14. current — happening now
  15. roll — a cake
  16. current — of water
  17. capital — money
  18. spell — letters
  19. stand — for spectators
  20. current — electric
  21. capital — a city
  22. capital — a big letter
  23. stand — on your feet
  24. mug — a cup

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