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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 120 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: wake · degree · can · pass · current · calf · cap · branch

  1. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  2. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  3. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  4. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  5. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  6. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  7. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  8. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  12. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  17. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  19. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  20. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  21. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  22. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  23. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  24. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.

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

Answer key

  1. can — to be able to
  2. can — a tin
  3. cap — a lid
  4. pass — a permit
  5. wake — before a funeral
  6. pass — to spend time
  7. degree — an amount
  8. degree — temperature
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. can — a tin
  11. cap — of ice
  12. pass — to succeed
  13. current — happening now
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. wake — a trail
  16. current — electric
  17. branch — of a bank
  18. wake — to stop sleeping
  19. current — of water
  20. branch — a division
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. cap — a hat
  23. degree — from a university
  24. branch — of a tree

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