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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. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  2. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  3. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  4. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  5. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  6. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  7. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  8. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  9. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  10. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  11. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  12. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  13. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  14. Have you found your soul ________________?
  15. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  16. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  17. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  18. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  19. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  20. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  21. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  22. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  23. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  24. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — a division
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. band — a music group
  4. mate — a friend
  5. degree — from a university
  6. pitch — completely
  7. pitch — a sales talk
  8. wave — of the sea
  9. fork — in a road
  10. wave — with your hand
  11. band — a ring
  12. safe — a strongbox
  13. mate — to breed
  14. mate — a partner
  15. pitch — a sports field
  16. band — a rubber band
  17. fork — a garden tool
  18. wave — a sudden rise
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. branch — of a tree
  21. fork — to eat with
  22. branch — of a bank
  23. degree — an amount
  24. degree — temperature

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