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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. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  2. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  3. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  4. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  5. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  8. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  9. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  10. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  11. Don't do anything ________________.
  12. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  13. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  14. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  15. When are we going to ________________?
  16. My mare is ________________ in color.
  17. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  18. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  19. I'll be taking the ________________.
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  22. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  23. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  24. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — from a university
  2. file — a line of people
  3. rash — on the skin
  4. branch — of a bank
  5. degree — temperature
  6. branch — a division
  7. degree — an amount
  8. rash — a series
  9. file — a document
  10. bay — to keep at bay
  11. rash — hasty
  12. land — ground
  13. tube — a container
  14. can — a tin
  15. land — to come down
  16. bay — a horse colour
  17. can — a tin
  18. branch — of a tree
  19. tube — the underground
  20. can — to be able to
  21. tube — in a tire
  22. land — a country
  23. file — a tool
  24. bay — a part of the sea

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