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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. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  2. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  3. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  8. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  9. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  12. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  13. I can't ________________ this cold.
  14. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  15. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  16. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  17. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  18. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  19. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  20. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  21. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  22. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  23. David sat on the ________________.
  24. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — to pay attention
  2. object — an aim
  3. leaves — lets stay
  4. mark — a trace
  5. object — a thing
  6. branch — a division
  7. branch — of a bank
  8. leaves — to go away
  9. scale — size or range
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. degree — from a university
  12. degree — an amount
  13. stand — to bear
  14. swing — music
  15. leaves — of a tree
  16. degree — temperature
  17. scale — for weighing
  18. object — to protest
  19. mark — a grade
  20. swing — in golf
  21. scale — in music
  22. branch — of a tree
  23. swing — to play on
  24. stand — for spectators

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