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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: degree · branch · pop · date · stand · can · chest · pit

  1. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  2. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  3. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  4. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  7. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  12. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  13. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  14. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  15. I can't ________________ this cold.
  16. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. We're almost out of ________________.
  19. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  20. Have you settled on a ________________?
  21. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  22. You don't need to ________________ round.
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  24. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a bank
  2. branch — of a tree
  3. pit — a hole
  4. degree — temperature
  5. can — a tin
  6. pop — music
  7. pit — a fruit stone
  8. branch — a division
  9. chest — of your body
  10. can — a tin
  11. degree — from a university
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. stand — on your feet
  14. chest — a box
  15. stand — to bear
  16. pit — in a race
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. pop — soda
  19. chest — of your body
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. date — the fruit
  22. pop — to visit
  23. can — to be able to
  24. degree — an amount

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