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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. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  2. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  3. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  4. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  5. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  6. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  7. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  8. Did you ________________ the meat?
  9. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  10. My father caught me by the ________________.
  11. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  12. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  13. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  14. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  15. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  16. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  17. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  18. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  19. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  20. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  21. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  22. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  23. It's one o'clock ________________.
  24. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a tree
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. arm — a part of something
  5. degree — an amount
  6. branch — of a bank
  7. degree — temperature
  8. season — to add flavour
  9. season — in sport
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. staff — a stick
  12. staff — employees
  13. present — a gift
  14. staff — employees
  15. racket — a loud noise
  16. present — the time now
  17. present — there
  18. season — of the year
  19. sharp — clever
  20. branch — a division
  21. sharp — with an edge
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. sharp — exactly
  24. degree — from a university

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