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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. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  2. Did you ________________ the meat?
  3. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  4. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  5. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  6. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  7. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  8. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  9. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  10. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  11. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  14. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  15. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  16. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  17. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  18. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  19. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  20. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  21. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  22. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  23. Don't do anything ________________.
  24. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — temperature
  2. season — to add flavour
  3. branch — of a bank
  4. foot — a measure
  5. fine — a penalty
  6. degree — from a university
  7. wake — before a funeral
  8. season — in sport
  9. season — of the year
  10. fork — in a road
  11. fork — a garden tool
  12. branch — a division
  13. rash — on the skin
  14. rash — a series
  15. degree — an amount
  16. fine — high quality
  17. fork — to eat with
  18. branch — of a tree
  19. wake — to stop sleeping
  20. foot — part of the body
  21. fine — all right
  22. wake — a trail
  23. rash — hasty
  24. foot — the bottom

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