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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. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  4. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  5. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  6. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  7. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  8. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  9. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  10. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  11. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  12. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  13. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  16. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  17. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  18. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  19. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  20. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  21. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  22. You don't need to ________________ round.
  23. We're almost out of ________________.
  24. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?

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

Answer key

  1. net — in sport
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. pass — to spend time
  5. net — after costs
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. branch — a division
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. net — for catching
  10. degree — temperature
  11. pop — music
  12. bat — the animal
  13. ruler — a monarch
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. degree — from a university
  16. pass — a permit
  17. branch — of a tree
  18. pass — to succeed
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. bat — for baseball
  21. bat — in an idiom
  22. pop — to visit
  23. pop — soda
  24. degree — an amount

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