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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 · cap · can · bear · branch · bass · stem · court

  1. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  2. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  3. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  4. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  7. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  8. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  9. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  10. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  13. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  14. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  15. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  18. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  19. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  20. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  21. The ball is in your ________________.
  22. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  24. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?

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

Answer key

  1. current — electric
  2. bass — low music
  3. cap — of ice
  4. can — a tin
  5. current — happening now
  6. bear — the animal
  7. bass — the instrument
  8. bear — the animal
  9. branch — a division
  10. branch — of a tree
  11. can — a tin
  12. court — of a king
  13. branch — of a bank
  14. court — of law
  15. cap — a hat
  16. current — of water
  17. stem — a stem cell
  18. stem — of a plant
  19. bass — the fish
  20. bear — to put up with
  21. court — for sport
  22. stem — to come from
  23. can — to be able to
  24. cap — a lid

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