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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: cap · degree · wound · can · mug · branch · key · mine

  1. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  2. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  3. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  4. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  5. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  6. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  7. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  8. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  9. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. Where did you ________________ them?
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. This piece is in a major ________________.
  16. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  17. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  18. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  19. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  20. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  21. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  22. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  24. She's sitting on a gold ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — a division
  2. cap — a lid
  3. mine — an explosive
  4. wound — past of 'wind'
  5. mine — belonging to me
  6. branch — of a tree
  7. degree — temperature
  8. degree — from a university
  9. mug — a cup
  10. cap — a hat
  11. mug — to rob
  12. key — the most important part
  13. mug — a face
  14. key — for a lock
  15. key — in music
  16. wound — an injury
  17. can — a tin
  18. branch — of a bank
  19. wound — an injury
  20. can — a tin
  21. degree — an amount
  22. cap — of ice
  23. can — to be able to
  24. mine — for digging

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