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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: mark · branch · court · snap · racket · wake · spell · degree

  1. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  2. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  3. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  4. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  5. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  6. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  7. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  8. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  9. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  10. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  11. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  12. The ball is in your ________________.
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  15. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  16. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  17. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  20. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  21. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  22. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  23. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  24. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a trace
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. snap — to click
  5. degree — an amount
  6. spell — a short time
  7. court — of law
  8. snap — to snap out of it
  9. court — of a king
  10. degree — from a university
  11. branch — of a tree
  12. court — for sport
  13. mark — a grade
  14. branch — of a bank
  15. wake — before a funeral
  16. branch — a division
  17. racket — a loud noise
  18. spell — letters
  19. wake — to stop sleeping
  20. wake — a trail
  21. snap — to speak sharply
  22. degree — temperature
  23. spell — magic
  24. mark — to pay attention

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