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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.

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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: degree · fine · arm · mate · capital · ruler · branch · patient

  1. Have you found your soul ________________?
  2. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  3. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  4. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  5. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  6. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  7. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  8. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  9. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  12. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  13. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  14. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  15. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  16. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  17. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  18. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  19. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  20. My father caught me by the ________________.
  21. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  22. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  23. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  24. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a partner
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. degree — temperature
  4. ruler — a monarch
  5. capital — a big letter
  6. patient — calm and waiting
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. capital — a city
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. mate — a friend
  12. fine — high quality
  13. branch — of a tree
  14. capital — money
  15. fine — all right
  16. fine — a penalty
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. branch — a division
  19. degree — from a university
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. mate — to breed
  22. arm — a part of something
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. degree — an amount

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