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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. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  4. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  5. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  6. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  7. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  10. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  11. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  12. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  13. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. This piece is in a major ________________.
  16. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  17. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  18. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  19. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  20. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  21. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  22. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  23. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  24. We're on a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a list
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. bowl — a dish
  4. bowl — a football final
  5. dip — a sauce
  6. straw — a straw man
  7. straw — dry grass
  8. key — the most important part
  9. branch — of a tree
  10. degree — an amount
  11. degree — from a university
  12. degree — temperature
  13. dip — to sink
  14. key — for a lock
  15. key — in music
  16. straw — to clutch at straws
  17. roll — a cake
  18. branch — a division
  19. pass — to succeed
  20. pass — to spend time
  21. bowl — to roll
  22. dip — to dunk
  23. pass — a permit
  24. roll — on a roll

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