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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 · stem · board · stick · straw · bound · branch · pit

  1. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  2. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  3. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  8. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  11. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  14. That was ________________ to happen.
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  18. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  19. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  20. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  21. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  22. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  23. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  24. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — dry grass
  2. bound — obliged
  3. pit — in a race
  4. board — to get on
  5. stem — to come from
  6. branch — a division
  7. stem — a stem cell
  8. pit — a fruit stone
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. branch — of a tree
  11. degree — temperature
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. bound — tied together
  14. bound — certain
  15. board — a committee
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. pit — a hole
  18. straw — to clutch at straws
  19. degree — from a university
  20. degree — an amount
  21. branch — of a bank
  22. straw — a straw man
  23. stem — of a plant
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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