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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 ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  2. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  5. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  6. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  7. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  8. David sat on the ________________.
  9. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  10. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  11. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  12. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  13. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  14. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  15. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  16. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  17. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  18. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  19. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  20. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  21. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  22. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  23. There's no middle ________________.
  24. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — the earth
  2. trunk — of a tree
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. firm — steady
  5. trunk — of an elephant
  6. bowl — to roll
  7. degree — temperature
  8. swing — to play on
  9. degree — from a university
  10. bowl — a football final
  11. branch — a division
  12. degree — an amount
  13. swing — music
  14. firm — decided
  15. firm — a company
  16. leaves — of a tree
  17. bowl — a dish
  18. leaves — lets stay
  19. trunk — of a car
  20. ground — crushed
  21. branch — of a bank
  22. branch — of a tree
  23. ground — a position
  24. swing — in golf

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