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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.

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: branch · foot · perch · charge · field · pit · degree · ball

  1. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  2. The King held a masked ________________.
  3. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  4. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  5. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  6. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  7. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  8. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  9. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  10. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  11. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  16. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  17. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  18. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  19. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  20. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  21. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  22. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  23. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  24. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — temperature
  2. ball — a dance
  3. pit — a fruit stone
  4. charge — in control
  5. perch — the fish
  6. ball — a round shape
  7. degree — from a university
  8. foot — a measure
  9. foot — the bottom
  10. field — for sport
  11. pit — a hole
  12. charge — a price
  13. field — a subject
  14. branch — a division
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. foot — part of the body
  17. field — farmland
  18. pit — in a race
  19. branch — of a tree
  20. degree — an amount
  21. ball — a great time
  22. charge — electricity
  23. branch — of a bank
  24. perch — for a bird

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