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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.

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: branch · present · degree · dip · firm · drill · swing · court

  1. David sat on the ________________.
  2. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  3. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  4. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  7. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  8. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  9. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  10. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  11. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  12. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  13. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  14. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  15. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  16. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  17. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  18. The ball is in your ________________.
  19. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  20. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  21. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  22. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  23. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  24. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — to play on
  2. dip — a sauce
  3. drill — army training
  4. court — of a king
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. court — of law
  7. firm — a company
  8. degree — an amount
  9. swing — music
  10. branch — a division
  11. present — there
  12. drill — a practice
  13. dip — to sink
  14. dip — to dunk
  15. swing — in golf
  16. degree — temperature
  17. present — the time now
  18. court — for sport
  19. degree — from a university
  20. drill — the tool
  21. present — a gift
  22. firm — decided
  23. branch — of a tree
  24. firm — steady

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