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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. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  2. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  3. When are we going to ________________?
  4. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  5. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  6. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  7. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  11. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  12. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  13. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  14. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  15. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  16. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  17. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  18. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  19. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  20. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  21. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  22. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  23. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  24. She got the top ________________ in the exam.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a bank
  2. club — for dancing
  3. land — to come down
  4. degree — temperature
  5. degree — an amount
  6. mark — a trace
  7. object — a thing
  8. branch — a division
  9. stand — to bear
  10. club — a group
  11. object — an aim
  12. branch — of a tree
  13. perch — the fish
  14. mark — to pay attention
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. stand — on your feet
  18. club — for golf
  19. land — a country
  20. stand — for spectators
  21. object — to protest
  22. land — ground
  23. degree — from a university
  24. mark — a grade

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