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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. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  2. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  3. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  6. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  7. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  8. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  9. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  10. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  11. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  12. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  13. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  14. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  17. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  19. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  20. Did you ________________ the meat?
  21. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  22. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  23. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  24. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a bank
  2. season — of the year
  3. branch — a division
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. toast — a drink to someone
  6. deal — a big deal
  7. drill — army training
  8. toast — the most admired
  9. ruler — a monarch
  10. branch — of a tree
  11. drill — a practice
  12. deal — to handle
  13. deal — an agreement
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. toast — bread
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. degree — from a university
  20. season — to add flavour
  21. season — in sport
  22. degree — an amount
  23. degree — temperature
  24. drill — the tool

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