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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. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  2. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  3. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  4. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  5. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  6. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  7. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  10. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  11. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  12. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  13. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  14. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  15. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  16. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  17. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  18. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  19. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  20. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  21. When will it ________________ you to start?
  22. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  23. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  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. scale — for weighing
  2. clip — for paper
  3. board — a flat piece
  4. degree — from a university
  5. branch — of a tree
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. board — a committee
  8. board — to get on
  9. branch — of a bank
  10. stem — a stem cell
  11. branch — a division
  12. clip — to cut
  13. suit — in cards
  14. scale — size or range
  15. degree — temperature
  16. clip — a video
  17. scale — in music
  18. calf — of the leg
  19. suit — clothes
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. suit — to fit
  22. stem — to come from
  23. stem — of a plant
  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