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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: bound · degree · racket · lean · game · current · branch · plane

  1. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  2. That was a fun ________________.
  3. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  4. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  5. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  6. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  7. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  8. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  9. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  10. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  11. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  14. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  15. That was ________________ to happen.
  16. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. The ________________ took off on time.
  19. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  20. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  21. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  22. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  23. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  24. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — from a university
  2. game — a match
  3. lean — thin
  4. branch — of a bank
  5. racket — a loud noise
  6. plane — in geometry
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. plane — a tool
  9. game — a kind of play
  10. branch — of a tree
  11. degree — an amount
  12. branch — a division
  13. bound — obliged
  14. game — wild animals
  15. bound — certain
  16. degree — temperature
  17. current — happening now
  18. plane — an aircraft
  19. bound — tied together
  20. lean — to rest against
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. current — of water
  23. current — electric
  24. lean — to bend

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