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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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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. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  2. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  3. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  8. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  9. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  10. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  11. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  12. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  13. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  14. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  15. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  16. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  17. He is an ace ________________.
  18. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  19. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  20. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  21. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  22. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. present — the time now
  2. bear — the animal
  3. degree — an amount
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. rock — music
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. cue — a signal
  8. degree — temperature
  9. present — there
  10. bear — the animal
  11. rock — a stone
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. branch — of a tree
  14. branch — of a bank
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. cue — for pool
  17. pitcher — in baseball
  18. cue — a hint
  19. degree — from a university
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. rock — to move gently
  22. present — a gift
  23. bear — to put up with
  24. branch — a division

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