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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: march · current · capital · branch · pop · tube · net · content

  1. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  2. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  3. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  4. You don't need to ________________ round.
  5. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  6. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  10. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  11. I'll be taking the ________________.
  12. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  13. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  14. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  15. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  16. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  19. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  22. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  23. We're almost out of ________________.
  24. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a bank
  2. net — for catching
  3. content — the amount
  4. pop — to visit
  5. current — of water
  6. march — music
  7. current — happening now
  8. tube — a container
  9. branch — of a tree
  10. capital — money
  11. tube — the underground
  12. content — videos and posts
  13. net — in sport
  14. net — after costs
  15. pop — music
  16. branch — a division
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. march — the month
  19. capital — a big letter
  20. current — electric
  21. content — happy
  22. capital — a city
  23. pop — soda
  24. march — the month

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