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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: degree · bark · lie · cap · branch · chip · pass · ball

  1. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  2. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  3. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  4. The King held a masked ________________.
  5. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  6. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  7. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  8. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  9. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  10. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  11. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  12. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  13. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  14. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  19. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  20. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  21. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  22. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  23. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  24. You can't go backstage without a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — a dog's sound
  2. chip — to eat
  3. cap — of ice
  4. ball — a dance
  5. cap — a lid
  6. cap — a hat
  7. chip — for betting
  8. degree — an amount
  9. ball — a round shape
  10. pass — to succeed
  11. bark — of a tree
  12. degree — temperature
  13. pass — to spend time
  14. branch — of a bank
  15. lie — to recline
  16. branch — a division
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. branch — of a tree
  19. degree — from a university
  20. ball — a great time
  21. chip — in a computer
  22. bark — to shout
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. pass — a permit

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