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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. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  5. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  6. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  7. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  8. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  9. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  10. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  11. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  12. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  13. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  14. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  15. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  16. When will it ________________ you to start?
  17. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  18. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  19. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  20. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  23. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  24. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — a division
  2. degree — from a university
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. branch — of a bank
  5. snap — to snap out of it
  6. branch — of a tree
  7. snap — to speak sharply
  8. bat — in an idiom
  9. snap — to click
  10. degree — an amount
  11. march — the month
  12. root — of a word
  13. root — the cause
  14. suit — clothes
  15. march — music
  16. suit — to fit
  17. bat — the animal
  18. root — of a plant
  19. march — the month
  20. bat — for baseball
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. suit — in cards
  23. fan — to cool the air
  24. degree — temperature

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