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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.

Words on the sheet
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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 · pop · degree · sharp · current · pound · staff · game

  1. That was a fun ________________.
  2. You don't need to ________________ round.
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  5. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  6. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  9. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  10. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  11. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  14. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  15. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  16. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  19. It's one o'clock ________________.
  20. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  21. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  22. We're almost out of ________________.
  23. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  24. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a match
  2. pop — to visit
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. sharp — clever
  5. staff — a stick
  6. branch — of a tree
  7. current — happening now
  8. game — a kind of play
  9. staff — employees
  10. pound — a weight
  11. branch — of a bank
  12. current — electric
  13. pop — music
  14. degree — an amount
  15. staff — employees
  16. game — wild animals
  17. branch — a division
  18. current — of water
  19. sharp — exactly
  20. pound — for dogs
  21. degree — temperature
  22. pop — soda
  23. degree — from a university
  24. pound — to hit hard

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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