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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. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  2. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  3. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  4. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  7. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  8. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  11. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  12. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  13. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  14. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  17. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  18. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  19. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  20. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  23. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  24. I've got to change the light ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — a division
  2. chip — for betting
  3. branch — of a bank
  4. degree — from a university
  5. bulb — for light
  6. bass — the fish
  7. snap — to click
  8. chip — in a computer
  9. ball — a dance
  10. bore — gave birth
  11. ball — a great time
  12. branch — of a tree
  13. degree — an amount
  14. bass — the instrument
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. degree — temperature
  17. bore — to drill
  18. bore — to tire
  19. bass — low music
  20. chip — to eat
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. snap — to speak sharply
  23. snap — to snap out of it
  24. bulb — for light

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