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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. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  2. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  3. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  4. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  5. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  6. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  7. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  8. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  9. Have you found your soul ________________?
  10. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  11. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  12. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  13. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  14. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  15. I can't ________________ this cold.
  16. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  17. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  18. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  19. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  20. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  21. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  22. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  23. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  24. I assure you, everything's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — a division
  2. mate — to breed
  3. content — videos and posts
  4. content — the amount
  5. degree — an amount
  6. branch — of a bank
  7. stand — for spectators
  8. branch — of a tree
  9. mate — a partner
  10. content — happy
  11. mate — a friend
  12. stand — on your feet
  13. fine — a penalty
  14. cap — a hat
  15. stand — to bear
  16. bore — gave birth
  17. degree — temperature
  18. bore — to tire
  19. cap — a lid
  20. fine — high quality
  21. degree — from a university
  22. bore — to drill
  23. cap — of ice
  24. fine — all right

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