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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 116 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. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  2. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  5. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  6. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  7. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  10. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  11. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  12. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  13. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  14. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  15. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  16. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  17. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  18. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  19. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  20. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  21. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  22. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  23. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  24. Did you ________________ the button?

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

Answer key

  1. branch — a division
  2. fork — in a road
  3. current — electric
  4. press — newspapers
  5. straw — to clutch at straws
  6. fork — to eat with
  7. dip — to sink
  8. current — happening now
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. fork — a garden tool
  11. dip — a sauce
  12. perch — the fish
  13. degree — temperature
  14. degree — an amount
  15. press — a publisher
  16. straw — dry grass
  17. straw — a straw man
  18. degree — from a university
  19. current — of water
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. branch — of a tree
  22. dip — to dunk
  23. branch — of a bank
  24. press — to push

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