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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. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  2. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  5. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  6. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  16. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  20. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  21. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  22. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  23. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  24. The spa offers ________________ extensions.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a bank
  2. pass — to succeed
  3. mark — a trace
  4. net — after costs
  5. net — for catching
  6. net — in sport
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. root — the cause
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. root — of a word
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. degree — an amount
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. degree — temperature
  16. branch — a division
  17. mark — a grade
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. pass — a permit
  20. branch — of a tree
  21. pass — to spend time
  22. degree — from a university
  23. root — of a plant
  24. lash — an eyelash

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