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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.

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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: pass · land · mate · current · branch · can · cold · fine

  1. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  2. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  3. Have you found your soul ________________?
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. When are we going to ________________?
  10. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  11. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  14. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  17. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  18. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  19. The water is too ________________.
  20. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  21. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  22. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  23. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  24. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to spend time
  2. land — ground
  3. mate — a partner
  4. can — to be able to
  5. cold — an illness
  6. can — a tin
  7. branch — a division
  8. can — a tin
  9. land — to come down
  10. fine — high quality
  11. fine — a penalty
  12. current — electric
  13. pass — a permit
  14. cold — the Cold War
  15. current — of water
  16. land — a country
  17. mate — a friend
  18. fine — all right
  19. cold — not warm
  20. branch — of a bank
  21. branch — of a tree
  22. pass — to succeed
  23. current — happening now
  24. mate — to breed

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