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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. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  2. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  3. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  6. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  7. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  8. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  9. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  10. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  11. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  12. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  13. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  14. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  17. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  18. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  19. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  20. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  21. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  22. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  23. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  24. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?

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

Answer key

  1. spring — of water
  2. spring — the season
  3. pit — in a race
  4. board — to get on
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. degree — from a university
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. ruler — a monarch
  9. branch — of a tree
  10. degree — temperature
  11. craft — boats
  12. pit — a fruit stone
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. spring — a coil
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. pit — a hole
  18. craft — a skill
  19. board — a committee
  20. racket — a loud noise
  21. branch — a division
  22. craft — a handicraft
  23. branch — of a bank
  24. degree — an amount

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