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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: spell · branch · ball · degree · can · wax · roll · race

  1. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  4. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  5. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  6. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  7. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  8. The King held a masked ________________.
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  12. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  13. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  14. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  15. How do you ________________ your surname?
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  18. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  19. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  20. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  21. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  22. We're on a ________________ here.
  23. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  24. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — temperature
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. degree — an amount
  4. degree — from a university
  5. spell — magic
  6. roll — a cake
  7. ball — a round shape
  8. ball — a dance
  9. can — to be able to
  10. can — a tin
  11. spell — a short time
  12. race — a contest
  13. race — humankind
  14. can — a tin
  15. spell — letters
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. wax — for sculpting
  18. wax — to grow
  19. race — the arms race
  20. ball — a great time
  21. branch — of a tree
  22. roll — on a roll
  23. branch — a division
  24. roll — a list

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