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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: bay · degree · land · current · drill · can · branch · rock

  1. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  2. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  7. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  8. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  9. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  10. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  11. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  15. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  16. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  17. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  18. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  19. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  20. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  21. When are we going to ________________?
  22. My mare is ________________ in color.
  23. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  24. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a bank
  2. land — ground
  3. current — electric
  4. current — of water
  5. rock — a stone
  6. drill — a practice
  7. degree — an amount
  8. drill — army training
  9. drill — the tool
  10. can — to be able to
  11. degree — temperature
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. current — happening now
  14. land — a country
  15. can — a tin
  16. branch — a division
  17. bay — to keep at bay
  18. branch — of a tree
  19. rock — music
  20. can — a tin
  21. land — to come down
  22. bay — a horse colour
  23. degree — from a university
  24. bay — a part of the sea

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