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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. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  2. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  3. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  6. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  9. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  10. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  11. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  12. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  13. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  14. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  15. My mare is ________________ in color.
  16. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  19. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  20. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  21. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  22. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  23. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  24. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.

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

Answer key

  1. race — a contest
  2. leaves — to go away
  3. degree — an amount
  4. track — a path
  5. race — humankind
  6. bay — to keep at bay
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. trunk — of a tree
  9. degree — temperature
  10. content — the amount
  11. race — the arms race
  12. leaves — lets stay
  13. bay — a part of the sea
  14. trunk — of a car
  15. bay — a horse colour
  16. trunk — of an elephant
  17. track — a song
  18. content — happy
  19. branch — of a bank
  20. content — videos and posts
  21. leaves — of a tree
  22. branch — a division
  23. track — to keep track
  24. degree — from a university

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