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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. I'll be taking the ________________.
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  4. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  5. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  8. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  9. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  10. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  11. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  12. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  13. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  14. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  15. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  16. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  17. The ________________ market has crashed.
  18. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  19. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  20. When will it ________________ you to start?
  21. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  22. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  23. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  24. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — the underground
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. perch — the fish
  4. club — a group
  5. suit — in cards
  6. branch — a division
  7. stock — goods
  8. club — for dancing
  9. stock — a soup base
  10. degree — an amount
  11. branch — of a tree
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. mouse — for a computer
  15. degree — from a university
  16. tube — in a tire
  17. stock — shares
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. club — for golf
  20. suit — to fit
  21. suit — clothes
  22. degree — temperature
  23. tube — a container
  24. mouse — the animal

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