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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. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  2. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  3. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  6. That was a fun ________________.
  7. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  8. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  9. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  12. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  15. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  16. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  17. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  18. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  19. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  20. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  21. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  22. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  23. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a bank
  2. degree — temperature
  3. rule — a law
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. foot — part of the body
  6. game — a match
  7. rule — to rule out
  8. game — wild animals
  9. spring — a coil
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. spring — of water
  12. game — a kind of play
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. branch — of a tree
  15. firm — steady
  16. spring — the season
  17. rule — government
  18. degree — an amount
  19. foot — a measure
  20. firm — a company
  21. degree — from a university
  22. foot — the bottom
  23. firm — decided
  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