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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: key · game · ball · degree · branch · pop · current · hide

  1. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  2. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  6. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  7. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  10. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  13. You don't need to ________________ round.
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. That was a fun ________________.
  16. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. The King held a masked ________________.
  19. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  20. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  21. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  22. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  23. We're almost out of ________________.
  24. This piece is in a major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. game — wild animals
  2. current — of water
  3. degree — temperature
  4. branch — a division
  5. pop — music
  6. branch — of a bank
  7. ball — a great time
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. hide — animal skin
  10. branch — of a tree
  11. key — the most important part
  12. game — a kind of play
  13. pop — to visit
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. game — a match
  16. key — for a lock
  17. current — electric
  18. ball — a dance
  19. degree — an amount
  20. ball — a round shape
  21. current — happening now
  22. degree — from a university
  23. pop — soda
  24. key — in music

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