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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. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  2. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  3. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  9. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  10. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  11. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  12. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  13. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  14. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  15. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  16. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  19. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  20. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  21. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  24. There's no middle ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a trace
  2. bank — for money
  3. bank — of a river
  4. charge — a price
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. degree — temperature
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. bank — for money
  9. degree — an amount
  10. degree — from a university
  11. mark — a grade
  12. march — music
  13. ground — crushed
  14. kick — a thrill
  15. kick — with a leg
  16. kick — in football
  17. branch — a division
  18. march — the month
  19. charge — electricity
  20. march — the month
  21. ground — the earth
  22. charge — in control
  23. branch — of a bank
  24. ground — a position

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