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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: wind · branch · bore · fine · net · firm · ruler · degree

  1. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  2. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  3. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  4. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  5. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  6. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  7. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  8. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  9. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  10. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  14. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  15. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  16. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  17. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  18. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  19. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  20. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  21. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  22. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  23. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  24. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — gave birth
  2. branch — of a tree
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. bore — to drill
  5. firm — decided
  6. wind — moving air
  7. ruler — a monarch
  8. firm — a company
  9. degree — an amount
  10. branch — a division
  11. fine — all right
  12. net — after costs
  13. bore — to tire
  14. wind — to turn a key
  15. fine — a penalty
  16. degree — from a university
  17. degree — temperature
  18. branch — of a bank
  19. net — in sport
  20. firm — steady
  21. fine — high quality
  22. net — for catching
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. wind — moving air

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