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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. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  2. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  4. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  5. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  6. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  7. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  8. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  9. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  10. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  11. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  14. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  17. Have you settled on a ________________?
  18. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  19. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  20. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  21. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  22. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  23. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  24. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a bank
  2. sharp — exactly
  3. degree — an amount
  4. degree — from a university
  5. branch — a division
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. rock — music
  8. degree — temperature
  9. sharp — clever
  10. row — to paddle
  11. wave — with your hand
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. row — a quarrel
  14. wave — a sudden rise
  15. rock — a stone
  16. row — a line
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. branch — of a tree
  19. wave — of the sea
  20. vault — in gymnastics
  21. date — the fruit
  22. vault — an arched ceiling
  23. rock — to move gently
  24. vault — a safe

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