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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: can · branch · degree · track · lash · current · ground · deal

  1. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  2. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  3. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  11. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  12. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  13. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  14. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. There's no middle ________________.
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  19. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  20. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  21. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  22. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  23. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. lash — to lash out
  2. deal — to handle
  3. degree — temperature
  4. can — a tin
  5. track — a path
  6. ground — the earth
  7. can — a tin
  8. current — happening now
  9. track — to keep track
  10. track — a song
  11. deal — a big deal
  12. branch — of a tree
  13. degree — an amount
  14. ground — crushed
  15. current — of water
  16. ground — a position
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. branch — of a bank
  19. current — electric
  20. degree — from a university
  21. branch — a division
  22. lash — an eyelash
  23. deal — an agreement
  24. can — to be able to

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