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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. My father caught me by the ________________.
  2. I'll be taking the ________________.
  3. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  4. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  5. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  10. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  11. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  12. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  13. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  14. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  15. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  16. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  17. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  18. When will it ________________ you to start?
  19. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  20. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  21. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  24. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. tube — the underground
  3. bear — the animal
  4. degree — temperature
  5. degree — an amount
  6. branch — a division
  7. object — a thing
  8. tube — a container
  9. branch — of a bank
  10. degree — from a university
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. band — a music group
  13. branch — of a tree
  14. object — an aim
  15. arm — a part of something
  16. suit — in cards
  17. bear — the animal
  18. suit — to fit
  19. object — to protest
  20. band — a rubber band
  21. bear — to put up with
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. suit — clothes
  24. band — a ring

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