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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: branch · pound · fan · spell · field · degree · bay · foot

  1. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  2. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  3. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  4. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  5. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  6. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  7. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  8. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  13. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  14. How do you ________________ your surname?
  15. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  16. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  17. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  18. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  19. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  20. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  21. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  22. My mare is ________________ in color.
  23. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  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. branch — a division
  2. pound — for dogs
  3. degree — temperature
  4. degree — an amount
  5. foot — a measure
  6. foot — part of the body
  7. degree — from a university
  8. foot — the bottom
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. spell — a short time
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. pound — a weight
  13. branch — of a bank
  14. spell — letters
  15. field — for sport
  16. spell — magic
  17. branch — of a tree
  18. field — farmland
  19. pound — to hit hard
  20. field — a subject
  21. bay — to keep at bay
  22. bay — a horse colour
  23. bay — a part of the sea
  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