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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. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  2. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  3. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  4. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  5. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  6. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  7. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  8. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  9. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  10. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  11. The ________________ market has crashed.
  12. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  13. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  16. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  17. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  18. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  19. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  20. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  21. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  22. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  23. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  24. A black ________________ roamed the forest.

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

Answer key

  1. object — an aim
  2. tear — from crying
  3. degree — temperature
  4. degree — an amount
  5. tear — to rip
  6. board — to get on
  7. branch — of a bank
  8. craft — a skill
  9. branch — a division
  10. object — to protest
  11. stock — shares
  12. object — a thing
  13. degree — from a university
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. stock — goods
  16. tear — from crying
  17. craft — boats
  18. board — a committee
  19. branch — of a tree
  20. craft — a handicraft
  21. bear — to put up with
  22. bear — the animal
  23. stock — a soup base
  24. bear — the animal

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