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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: squash · can · current · branch · hand · capital · key · spell

  1. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  2. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  7. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  8. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  11. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  12. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  15. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  16. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  17. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. How do you ________________ your surname?
  20. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  21. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  22. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  23. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  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. can — a tin
  2. key — the most important part
  3. current — of water
  4. spell — magic
  5. can — to be able to
  6. spell — a short time
  7. capital — a big letter
  8. capital — a city
  9. key — in music
  10. current — electric
  11. key — for a lock
  12. squash — to crush
  13. current — happening now
  14. hand — part of the body
  15. squash — the sport
  16. branch — of a tree
  17. capital — money
  18. can — a tin
  19. spell — letters
  20. branch — a division
  21. squash — the vegetable
  22. hand — help
  23. hand — in cards
  24. branch — of a bank

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