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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: current · pitch · staff · degree · fan · tube · branch · stock

  1. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  2. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  3. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  6. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  7. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  8. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  9. The ________________ market has crashed.
  10. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  11. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  12. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  13. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  14. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  15. I'll be taking the ________________.
  16. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  17. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  18. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  21. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  24. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a bank
  2. current — happening now
  3. pitch — completely
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. staff — employees
  6. stock — goods
  7. staff — employees
  8. current — electric
  9. stock — shares
  10. pitch — a sports field
  11. branch — a division
  12. degree — from a university
  13. branch — of a tree
  14. degree — an amount
  15. tube — the underground
  16. pitch — a sales talk
  17. stock — a soup base
  18. degree — temperature
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. current — of water
  21. staff — a stick
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. tube — a container
  24. tube — in a tire

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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