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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. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  2. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  4. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  5. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  6. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  7. This piece is in a major ________________.
  8. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  9. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  10. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  13. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  18. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  19. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  20. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  21. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — an amount
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. bore — gave birth
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. degree — from a university
  6. bore — to tire
  7. key — in music
  8. degree — temperature
  9. bear — to put up with
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. branch — of a tree
  13. bore — to drill
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. branch — of a bank
  16. key — the most important part
  17. perch — the fish
  18. leaves — lets stay
  19. bear — the animal
  20. key — for a lock
  21. bear — the animal
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. leaves — to go away
  24. branch — a division

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