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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 116 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.

Words on the sheet
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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 · current · branch · spell · rest · key · degree · pass

  1. This piece is in a major ________________.
  2. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  3. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  4. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  7. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  8. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  9. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  10. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  11. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. How do you ________________ your surname?
  15. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  18. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  19. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  20. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  21. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  22. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  23. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  24. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.

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

Answer key

  1. key — in music
  2. degree — an amount
  3. key — for a lock
  4. rest — what's left
  5. can — to be able to
  6. rest — what's left
  7. current — electric
  8. current — of water
  9. spell — magic
  10. branch — a division
  11. branch — of a tree
  12. key — the most important part
  13. can — a tin
  14. spell — letters
  15. rest — a break
  16. current — happening now
  17. pass — a permit
  18. degree — from a university
  19. can — a tin
  20. pass — to spend time
  21. pass — to succeed
  22. degree — temperature
  23. spell — a short time
  24. branch — of a bank

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