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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 120 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. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  2. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  3. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  4. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  5. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  6. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  7. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  13. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  14. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  15. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  16. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  17. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  18. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  19. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  20. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  21. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. row — to paddle
  2. safe — a strongbox
  3. dip — to sink
  4. degree — from a university
  5. club — for golf
  6. dip — to dunk
  7. degree — an amount
  8. branch — a division
  9. degree — temperature
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. can — a tin
  12. row — a quarrel
  13. branch — of a tree
  14. march — the month
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. march — music
  17. row — a line
  18. dip — a sauce
  19. club — a group
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. march — the month
  22. can — a tin
  23. club — for dancing
  24. can — to be able to

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