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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: dip · degree · present · stem · branch · fan · content · bass

  1. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  2. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  3. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  4. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  5. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  6. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  7. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  8. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  11. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  12. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  13. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  14. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  15. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  16. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  17. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  18. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  19. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  20. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  23. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  24. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. dip — a sauce
  3. present — a gift
  4. degree — temperature
  5. bass — the instrument
  6. stem — of a plant
  7. degree — an amount
  8. content — happy
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. stem — a stem cell
  11. degree — from a university
  12. dip — to sink
  13. branch — of a tree
  14. branch — of a bank
  15. dip — to dunk
  16. branch — a division
  17. stem — to come from
  18. content — the amount
  19. bass — low music
  20. present — the time now
  21. bass — the fish
  22. content — videos and posts
  23. present — there
  24. fan — a supporter

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