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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 116 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: can · wake · bear · race · branch · cabinet · degree · ball

  1. The King held a masked ________________.
  2. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  5. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  9. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  10. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  14. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  15. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  19. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  20. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  21. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  24. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a dance
  2. bear — to put up with
  3. can — to be able to
  4. can — a tin
  5. degree — temperature
  6. branch — a division
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. degree — from a university
  9. race — humankind
  10. race — the arms race
  11. bear — the animal
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. wake — before a funeral
  14. wake — to stop sleeping
  15. branch — of a bank
  16. ball — a great time
  17. can — a tin
  18. bear — the animal
  19. branch — of a tree
  20. degree — an amount
  21. wake — a trail
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. race — a contest
  24. cabinet — a cupboard

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