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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 120 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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: drill · branch · pitcher · pit · tube · degree · mouse · present

  1. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  4. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  5. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  6. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  7. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  8. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  9. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  10. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  11. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  12. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  13. He is an ace ________________.
  14. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  15. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  16. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  17. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  18. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  19. I'll be taking the ________________.
  20. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  21. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  22. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  23. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  24. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — for a computer
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. drill — army training
  5. branch — a division
  6. pit — a hole
  7. present — a gift
  8. branch — of a tree
  9. present — there
  10. drill — a practice
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. degree — temperature
  13. pitcher — in baseball
  14. degree — from a university
  15. present — the time now
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. drill — the tool
  18. pit — a fruit stone
  19. tube — the underground
  20. pit — in a race
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. degree — an amount
  23. tube — in a tire
  24. tube — a container

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