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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 · suit · press · spring · branch · pit · stick · nail

  1. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  6. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  7. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  8. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  9. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  10. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  11. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  12. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  13. Did you ________________ the button?
  14. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  17. When will it ________________ you to start?
  18. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  19. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  20. The ________________ went through the wall.
  21. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  24. Boris sat near the fire ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. spring — a coil
  4. branch — a division
  5. degree — an amount
  6. stick — to attach or keep to
  7. suit — in cards
  8. spring — the season
  9. pit — in a race
  10. pit — a fruit stone
  11. spring — of water
  12. degree — temperature
  13. press — to push
  14. suit — clothes
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. press — a publisher
  17. suit — to fit
  18. degree — from a university
  19. press — newspapers
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. nail — on a finger
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. branch — of a bank
  24. pit — a hole

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