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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
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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: cell · roll · branch · mine · degree · tube · bore · club

  1. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  2. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  3. He was locked up in a ________________.
  4. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  5. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  6. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  7. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  8. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  9. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  10. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  11. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  15. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  16. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  17. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  18. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  19. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  20. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  21. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  22. We're on a ________________ here.
  23. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  24. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — an amount
  2. branch — of a tree
  3. cell — in a prison
  4. cell — a phone
  5. cell — in biology
  6. bore — to drill
  7. club — for golf
  8. mine — an explosive
  9. roll — a list
  10. degree — from a university
  11. club — for dancing
  12. branch — a division
  13. tube — the underground
  14. club — a group
  15. tube — a container
  16. branch — of a bank
  17. bore — to tire
  18. mine — belonging to me
  19. tube — in a tire
  20. degree — temperature
  21. mine — for digging
  22. roll — on a roll
  23. roll — a cake
  24. bore — gave birth

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