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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.

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: game · wave · degree · branch · toast · field · object · hide

  1. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  2. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  4. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  7. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  8. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  9. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  10. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. That was a fun ________________.
  13. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  14. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  15. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  16. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  17. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  18. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  19. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  20. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  21. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  22. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  23. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  24. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.

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

Answer key

  1. object — a thing
  2. wave — of the sea
  3. toast — bread
  4. object — to protest
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. degree — an amount
  7. toast — a drink to someone
  8. field — farmland
  9. hide — animal skin
  10. branch — of a tree
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. game — a match
  13. branch — a division
  14. wave — with your hand
  15. degree — temperature
  16. toast — the most admired
  17. field — a subject
  18. degree — from a university
  19. field — for sport
  20. wave — a sudden rise
  21. game — wild animals
  22. object — an aim
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. game — a kind of play

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