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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 116 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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  2. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  3. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  4. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  5. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  8. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  9. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  10. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  11. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  12. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  13. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  14. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  15. My mare is ________________ in color.
  16. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  19. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  20. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  21. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  22. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  24. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — temperature
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. safe — a strongbox
  4. bay — a part of the sea
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. branch — of a bank
  8. prune — to trim
  9. bay — to keep at bay
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. degree — from a university
  13. row — a quarrel
  14. prune — the fruit
  15. bay — a horse colour
  16. branch — of a tree
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. branch — a division
  19. row — a line
  20. prune — to trim
  21. degree — an amount
  22. row — to paddle
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. racket — a loud noise

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