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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. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  2. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  3. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  4. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  5. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  6. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  7. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  8. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  9. There's no middle ________________.
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  12. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  13. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  14. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  15. David sat on the ________________.
  16. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  17. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  18. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  19. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  20. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  21. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  22. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  23. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  24. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — a division
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. dip — a sauce
  4. dip — to sink
  5. bank — for money
  6. bank — of a river
  7. degree — temperature
  8. bank — for money
  9. ground — a position
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. degree — from a university
  12. racket — a loud noise
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. dip — to dunk
  15. swing — to play on
  16. swing — music
  17. branch — of a tree
  18. toast — the most admired
  19. degree — an amount
  20. ground — the earth
  21. toast — bread
  22. ground — crushed
  23. toast — a drink to someone
  24. swing — in golf

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