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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 120 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. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  2. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  3. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  4. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  5. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  6. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  7. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  8. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  9. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  10. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  11. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  12. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  13. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  14. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  15. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  16. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  17. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  19. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  20. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  23. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  24. This looks like a gunshot ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — a division
  2. degree — temperature
  3. bank — for money
  4. wound — past of 'wind'
  5. wound — an injury
  6. root — of a word
  7. bank — for money
  8. net — for catching
  9. squash — the sport
  10. root — of a plant
  11. branch — of a bank
  12. branch — of a tree
  13. net — in sport
  14. bank — of a river
  15. degree — from a university
  16. net — after costs
  17. degree — an amount
  18. nail — on a finger
  19. squash — the vegetable
  20. root — the cause
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. squash — to crush
  24. wound — an injury

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