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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. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  2. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  4. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  5. You don't need to ________________ round.
  6. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  11. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  12. We're almost out of ________________.
  13. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  14. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  17. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  19. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  20. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  21. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  22. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  23. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  24. Boris sat near the fire ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to bend
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. degree — temperature
  4. degree — from a university
  5. pop — to visit
  6. degree — an amount
  7. track — a song
  8. pit — a fruit stone
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. branch — a division
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. pop — soda
  13. lean — thin
  14. fan — to cool the air
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. branch — of a tree
  17. branch — of a bank
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. track — to keep track
  20. lean — to rest against
  21. pop — music
  22. pit — in a race
  23. track — a path
  24. pit — a hole

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