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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: bay · degree · pass · pop · branch · pit · shower · kick

  1. My mare is ________________ in color.
  2. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  3. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  4. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  5. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  6. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  7. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  8. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  9. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  10. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  11. You don't need to ________________ round.
  12. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  13. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  14. We're almost out of ________________.
  15. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  16. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  17. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  18. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  19. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  20. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  21. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  22. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  23. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  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. bay — a horse colour
  2. branch — of a tree
  3. bay — to keep at bay
  4. shower — rain
  5. degree — temperature
  6. pass — a permit
  7. bay — a part of the sea
  8. pit — a hole
  9. pit — in a race
  10. kick — in football
  11. pop — to visit
  12. shower — to wash
  13. degree — from a university
  14. pop — soda
  15. branch — a division
  16. kick — a thrill
  17. pass — to succeed
  18. pop — music
  19. pit — a fruit stone
  20. shower — a meteor shower
  21. kick — with a leg
  22. pass — to spend time
  23. branch — of a bank
  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