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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. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  2. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  3. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  4. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. False peace will not ________________.
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  9. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  10. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  11. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  12. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  13. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  14. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  15. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. When will it ________________ you to start?
  18. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  19. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  20. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  21. We're on a ________________ here.
  22. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  23. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  24. At ________________, we arrived at the village.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — a division
  2. toast — the most admired
  3. degree — an amount
  4. toast — a drink to someone
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. last — to go on
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. degree — temperature
  9. degree — from a university
  10. last — final
  11. suit — in cards
  12. roll — a list
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. present — there
  15. present — a gift
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. suit — to fit
  18. toast — bread
  19. roll — a cake
  20. suit — clothes
  21. roll — on a roll
  22. present — the time now
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. last — finally

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