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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. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  2. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  3. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  4. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  5. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  6. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  7. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  8. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  9. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  10. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  11. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  12. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  13. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  14. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  15. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  16. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  17. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  18. The ________________ market has crashed.
  19. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  20. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  21. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  22. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  23. Did you ________________ the button?
  24. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — an amount
  2. press — newspapers
  3. stock — a soup base
  4. mine — belonging to me
  5. mine — for digging
  6. firm — a company
  7. branch — of a bank
  8. rock — to move gently
  9. rock — music
  10. degree — from a university
  11. object — to protest
  12. object — a thing
  13. branch — of a tree
  14. mine — an explosive
  15. press — a publisher
  16. stock — goods
  17. firm — decided
  18. stock — shares
  19. degree — temperature
  20. object — an aim
  21. branch — a division
  22. rock — a stone
  23. press — to push
  24. firm — steady

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