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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 assure you, everything's ________________.
  2. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  3. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. She's very handy with a ________________.
  11. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  12. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  15. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  16. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  17. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  18. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  19. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  20. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  21. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  22. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  23. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  24. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — all right
  2. branch — of a tree
  3. branch — of a bank
  4. bear — the animal
  5. degree — an amount
  6. bulb — for light
  7. chip — for betting
  8. bulb — for light
  9. saw — the tool
  10. saw — the tool
  11. degree — temperature
  12. chip — to eat
  13. mark — a grade
  14. mark — to pay attention
  15. branch — a division
  16. degree — from a university
  17. chip — in a computer
  18. fine — a penalty
  19. fine — high quality
  20. bear — to put up with
  21. bear — the animal
  22. saw — past of 'see'
  23. mark — a trace
  24. bulb — of a plant

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