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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: jam · branch · degree · pit · wax · stock · foot · bore

  1. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  2. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  3. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  4. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  5. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  6. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  7. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  8. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  9. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  12. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  13. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  16. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  17. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  19. The ________________ market has crashed.
  20. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  21. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  22. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  23. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  24. I have a corn on my right ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — for sculpting
  2. jam — to spread on bread
  3. degree — temperature
  4. bore — gave birth
  5. wax — to grow
  6. degree — an amount
  7. pit — a fruit stone
  8. pit — in a race
  9. branch — of a tree
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. stock — a soup base
  12. foot — the bottom
  13. degree — from a university
  14. branch — a division
  15. wax — in the ear
  16. bore — to drill
  17. pit — a hole
  18. stock — goods
  19. stock — shares
  20. bore — to tire
  21. foot — a measure
  22. jam — in traffic
  23. jam — a tight spot
  24. foot — part of the body

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