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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.

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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. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  2. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  3. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  4. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  5. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  6. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  7. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  8. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  9. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  10. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  11. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  12. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  13. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  14. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  15. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  16. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  17. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  18. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  19. He is an ace ________________.
  20. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  21. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  22. This piece is in a major ________________.
  23. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  24. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. stem — to come from
  3. trunk — of a tree
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. branch — a division
  6. trunk — of an elephant
  7. degree — an amount
  8. ruler — a monarch
  9. trunk — of a car
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. rock — a stone
  12. branch — of a bank
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. stem — a stem cell
  15. degree — temperature
  16. rock — music
  17. key — the most important part
  18. rock — to move gently
  19. pitcher — in baseball
  20. key — for a lock
  21. degree — from a university
  22. key — in music
  23. stem — of a plant
  24. branch — of a tree

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