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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.

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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: suit · current · degree · trunk · season · deal · calf · branch

  1. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  2. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  3. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. When will it ________________ you to start?
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  11. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  12. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  13. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  16. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  17. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  18. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  19. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  20. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  21. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  22. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  23. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  24. I've got the luggage in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — from a university
  2. deal — an agreement
  3. season — in sport
  4. branch — a division
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. deal — a big deal
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. suit — to fit
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. degree — temperature
  11. deal — to handle
  12. season — of the year
  13. branch — of a bank
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. suit — clothes
  16. current — electric
  17. suit — in cards
  18. current — of water
  19. degree — an amount
  20. current — happening now
  21. calf — of the leg
  22. trunk — of a tree
  23. trunk — of an elephant
  24. trunk — of a car

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