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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: march · branch · jam · current · toast · degree · clip · cabinet

  1. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  2. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  4. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  5. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  6. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  11. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  12. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  13. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  14. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  15. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  16. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  17. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  18. What do you think of the new ________________?
  19. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  20. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  21. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  22. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  23. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  24. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a tree
  2. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. jam — a tight spot
  4. clip — for paper
  5. degree — from a university
  6. toast — bread
  7. current — of water
  8. degree — an amount
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. jam — in traffic
  11. march — the month
  12. degree — temperature
  13. branch — of a bank
  14. current — happening now
  15. clip — to cut
  16. march — music
  17. clip — a video
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. march — the month
  20. toast — the most admired
  21. jam — to spread on bread
  22. branch — a division
  23. current — electric
  24. toast — a drink to someone

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