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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 116 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.

Make a worksheet

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: content · branch · rest · bark · degree · mug · craft · object

  1. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  2. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  3. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  4. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  5. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  6. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  7. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  8. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  9. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  10. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  11. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  12. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  13. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  14. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  15. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  16. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  17. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  18. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  19. Where did you ________________ them?
  20. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  21. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  22. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  23. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  24. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a tree
  2. degree — an amount
  3. rest — what's left
  4. branch — of a bank
  5. craft — a skill
  6. degree — from a university
  7. branch — a division
  8. content — videos and posts
  9. bark — of a tree
  10. mug — a cup
  11. bark — to shout
  12. degree — temperature
  13. rest — a break
  14. craft — a handicraft
  15. object — a thing
  16. rest — what's left
  17. mug — a face
  18. bark — a dog's sound
  19. mug — to rob
  20. content — the amount
  21. craft — boats
  22. object — to protest
  23. content — happy
  24. object — an aim

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