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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
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Word bank
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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 King held a masked ________________.
  2. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  3. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  6. That was a fun ________________.
  7. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  8. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  9. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  10. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  11. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  12. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  13. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  14. This piece is in a major ________________.
  15. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  16. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  17. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  18. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  19. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  20. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  21. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  22. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  23. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  24. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a dance
  2. ball — a great time
  3. prune — to trim
  4. branch — a division
  5. degree — from a university
  6. game — a match
  7. degree — temperature
  8. branch — of a tree
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. ball — a round shape
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. prune — the fruit
  13. degree — an amount
  14. key — in music
  15. game — wild animals
  16. perch — the fish
  17. key — the most important part
  18. deal — to handle
  19. prune — to trim
  20. game — a kind of play
  21. branch — of a bank
  22. deal — an agreement
  23. deal — a big deal
  24. key — for a lock

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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