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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. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  2. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  4. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  5. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  6. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  7. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  8. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  9. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  10. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  11. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  12. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  13. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  14. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  15. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  16. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  19. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  20. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  21. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  22. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  23. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  24. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a tree
  2. current — electric
  3. degree — temperature
  4. pit — a hole
  5. degree — from a university
  6. racket — a loud noise
  7. branch — of a bank
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. content — the amount
  11. perch — the fish
  12. content — videos and posts
  13. degree — an amount
  14. root — of a plant
  15. branch — a division
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. current — happening now
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. content — happy
  20. root — of a word
  21. pit — a fruit stone
  22. pit — in a race
  23. current — of water
  24. root — the cause

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