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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.

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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 · shower · degree · row · jam · club

  1. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  2. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  3. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  4. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  5. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  6. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  7. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  8. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  9. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  10. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  11. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  12. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  13. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  14. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  15. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  16. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  17. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  18. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. row — to paddle
  2. degree — temperature
  3. club — for dancing
  4. degree — an amount
  5. shower — to wash
  6. jam — to spread on bread
  7. branch — a division
  8. shower — rain
  9. branch — of a bank
  10. degree — from a university
  11. branch — of a tree
  12. row — a quarrel
  13. jam — in traffic
  14. shower — a meteor shower
  15. jam — a tight spot
  16. club — a group
  17. row — a line
  18. club — for golf

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