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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. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  2. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  3. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  4. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  5. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  8. When are we going to ________________?
  9. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  13. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  14. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  15. My mare is ________________ in color.
  16. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  17. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  18. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  19. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  20. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  21. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  22. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  23. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  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. branch — of a tree
  2. racket — a loud noise
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. clip — a video
  5. vault — a safe
  6. branch — a division
  7. degree — temperature
  8. land — to come down
  9. degree — from a university
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. bay — to keep at bay
  13. land — a country
  14. board — a committee
  15. bay — a horse colour
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. board — to get on
  18. land — ground
  19. vault — in gymnastics
  20. bay — a part of the sea
  21. clip — to cut
  22. clip — for paper
  23. vault — an arched ceiling
  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