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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 120 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. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  2. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  3. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  4. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  7. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  8. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  9. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  10. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  11. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  12. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  13. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  14. When was this ________________ built?
  15. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  18. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  19. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  20. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  21. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  22. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  23. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  24. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?

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

Answer key

  1. degree — from a university
  2. fall — to drop
  3. degree — an amount
  4. fall — to drop
  5. stand — to bear
  6. degree — temperature
  7. branch — of a bank
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. chip — to eat
  10. chip — in a computer
  11. fork — a garden tool
  12. present — the time now
  13. stand — for spectators
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. fork — in a road
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. present — there
  18. fork — to eat with
  19. fall — the season
  20. chip — for betting
  21. branch — a division
  22. temple — side of the head
  23. branch — of a tree
  24. present — a gift

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