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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. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  2. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  7. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  8. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  9. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  12. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  13. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. The ________________ went through the wall.
  16. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  17. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  18. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  19. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  20. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  21. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  22. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  23. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  24. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a trace
  2. bass — the fish
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. branch — a division
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. degree — temperature
  7. degree — an amount
  8. cap — of ice
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. stem — to come from
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. cap — a hat
  14. mark — a grade
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. degree — from a university
  17. safe — a strongbox
  18. stem — of a plant
  19. branch — of a tree
  20. bass — the instrument
  21. cap — a lid
  22. stem — a stem cell
  23. bass — low music
  24. branch — of a bank

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