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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. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  2. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  4. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  5. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  6. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. We're almost out of ________________.
  9. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  10. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  11. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  12. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  13. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  17. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  18. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  19. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  20. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  21. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  22. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  23. You don't need to ________________ round.
  24. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — from a university
  2. saw — the tool
  3. pit — in a race
  4. vault — a safe
  5. branch — of a tree
  6. net — in sport
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. pop — soda
  9. degree — temperature
  10. pit — a fruit stone
  11. bank — for money
  12. pop — music
  13. vault — an arched ceiling
  14. branch — a division
  15. saw — the tool
  16. branch — of a bank
  17. bank — for money
  18. degree — an amount
  19. net — after costs
  20. net — for catching
  21. pit — a hole
  22. vault — in gymnastics
  23. pop — to visit
  24. bank — of a river

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