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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 120 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. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  2. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  3. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  4. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  5. It's one o'clock ________________.
  6. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  10. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  11. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  12. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  13. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  16. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  17. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  20. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  21. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  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. safe — a strongbox
  2. branch — a division
  3. fork — in a road
  4. sharp — with an edge
  5. sharp — exactly
  6. branch — of a bank
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. bowl — a football final
  10. bowl — to roll
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. fork — to eat with
  13. bowl — a dish
  14. can — to be able to
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. branch — of a tree
  17. fork — a garden tool
  18. sharp — clever
  19. degree — from a university
  20. can — a tin
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. can — a tin
  23. degree — temperature
  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