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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: degree · court · suit · drill · branch · wax · cabinet · bank

  1. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  2. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  3. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  4. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  5. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  6. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  7. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  8. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  9. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  10. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  11. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  12. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  13. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  14. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  15. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  16. The ball is in your ________________.
  17. When will it ________________ you to start?
  18. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  19. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  20. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  23. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  24. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. wax — to grow
  3. court — of law
  4. drill — the tool
  5. wax — in the ear
  6. degree — temperature
  7. drill — army training
  8. suit — in cards
  9. degree — an amount
  10. bank — of a river
  11. degree — from a university
  12. cabinet — a cupboard
  13. bank — for money
  14. branch — of a bank
  15. court — of a king
  16. court — for sport
  17. suit — to fit
  18. drill — a practice
  19. wax — for sculpting
  20. branch — a division
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. suit — clothes
  23. branch — of a tree
  24. cabinet — ministers

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