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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: branch · mouse · current · can · rash · track · degree · spring

  1. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  2. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  6. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  7. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  10. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  11. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  14. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  19. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  20. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  21. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  22. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  23. Don't do anything ________________.
  24. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. degree — temperature
  3. current — electric
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. track — a song
  6. mouse — for a computer
  7. spring — the season
  8. current — happening now
  9. branch — a division
  10. can — to be able to
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. can — a tin
  13. degree — from a university
  14. degree — an amount
  15. current — of water
  16. rash — a series
  17. track — to keep track
  18. spring — a coil
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. spring — of water
  21. rash — on the skin
  22. track — a path
  23. rash — hasty
  24. branch — of a bank

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