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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. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  2. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  3. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  4. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  7. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  8. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  9. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  16. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. When was this ________________ built?
  19. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  20. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  21. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  22. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  24. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — a division
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. field — farmland
  4. degree — from a university
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. field — a subject
  7. vault — in gymnastics
  8. branch — of a bank
  9. field — for sport
  10. can — a tin
  11. can — a tin
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. temple — side of the head
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. nail — on a finger
  16. degree — an amount
  17. mark — a grade
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. degree — temperature
  20. branch — of a tree
  21. vault — a safe
  22. mark — a trace
  23. can — to be able to
  24. vault — an arched ceiling

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