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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: degree · wound · current · staff · capital · branch · calf · coach

  1. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  2. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  3. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  6. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  9. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  12. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  15. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  16. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  17. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  18. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  19. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  20. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  21. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  22. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  23. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  24. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?

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

Answer key

  1. staff — a stick
  2. branch — of a tree
  3. branch — of a bank
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. capital — a city
  7. current — of water
  8. capital — money
  9. degree — an amount
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. branch — a division
  12. degree — from a university
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. wound — past of 'wind'
  15. staff — employees
  16. current — electric
  17. capital — a big letter
  18. wound — an injury
  19. degree — temperature
  20. current — happening now
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. staff — employees
  23. wound — an injury
  24. coach — pulled by horses

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