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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. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  3. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  4. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  5. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  6. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  7. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  8. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  9. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  10. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  11. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  12. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  13. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  14. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  15. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  16. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  17. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  18. David sat on the ________________.
  19. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  20. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  21. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  22. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  23. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  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. degree — temperature
  2. bowl — a dish
  3. branch — a division
  4. branch — of a bank
  5. fine — all right
  6. fine — high quality
  7. swing — music
  8. swing — in golf
  9. leaves — of a tree
  10. fork — to eat with
  11. branch — of a tree
  12. bear — the animal
  13. bowl — a football final
  14. bear — the animal
  15. leaves — to go away
  16. bowl — to roll
  17. fine — a penalty
  18. swing — to play on
  19. bear — to put up with
  20. leaves — lets stay
  21. fork — in a road
  22. fork — a garden tool
  23. degree — from a university
  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