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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.

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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: branch · bore · pit · dip · land · saw · rush · degree

  1. That must've been a ________________.
  2. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  3. He works in a ________________ mill.
  4. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  5. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  6. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  7. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  8. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  9. When are we going to ________________?
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  13. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  14. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  15. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  16. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  17. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  18. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  19. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  20. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  24. She's very handy with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — a thrill
  2. degree — from a university
  3. saw — the tool
  4. degree — temperature
  5. bore — to drill
  6. dip — to sink
  7. degree — an amount
  8. dip — to dunk
  9. land — to come down
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. rush — hurry
  12. pit — in a race
  13. land — ground
  14. dip — a sauce
  15. pit — a fruit stone
  16. branch — a division
  17. branch — of a tree
  18. bore — to tire
  19. pit — a hole
  20. land — a country
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. bore — gave birth
  24. saw — the tool

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