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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. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  2. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  3. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  4. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  5. My mare is ________________ in color.
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  9. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  10. I'll be taking the ________________.
  11. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  14. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  15. The King held a masked ________________.
  16. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  22. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  23. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  24. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — from a university
  2. branch — of a tree
  3. rock — a stone
  4. trunk — of a tree
  5. bay — a horse colour
  6. branch — a division
  7. tube — a container
  8. trunk — of a car
  9. trunk — of an elephant
  10. tube — the underground
  11. bay — a part of the sea
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. rock — music
  14. track — to keep track
  15. ball — a dance
  16. degree — temperature
  17. track — a path
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. ball — a great time
  20. track — a song
  21. degree — an amount
  22. rock — to move gently
  23. branch — of a bank
  24. bay — to keep at bay

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