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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: track · current · capital · branch · content · jam · pitch · bank

  1. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  2. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  3. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  4. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  5. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  6. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  7. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  8. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  11. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  12. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  15. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  16. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  17. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  18. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  19. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  20. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  21. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  22. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  23. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  24. Check the label for the sugar ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a bank
  2. jam — in traffic
  3. bank — of a river
  4. current — electric
  5. pitch — completely
  6. content — happy
  7. capital — money
  8. current — of water
  9. track — a path
  10. branch — a division
  11. bank — for money
  12. pitch — a sales talk
  13. current — happening now
  14. capital — a city
  15. capital — a big letter
  16. jam — to spread on bread
  17. content — videos and posts
  18. bank — for money
  19. jam — a tight spot
  20. track — to keep track
  21. branch — of a tree
  22. track — a song
  23. pitch — a sports field
  24. content — the amount

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