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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: stick · branch · degree · perch · mouse · deal · squash · bay

  1. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  2. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  3. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  4. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  7. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  8. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  9. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  10. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  13. My mare is ________________ in color.
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  17. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  18. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  19. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  20. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  21. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  22. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  23. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  24. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — from a university
  2. squash — to crush
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. squash — the vegetable
  7. degree — temperature
  8. degree — an amount
  9. branch — of a tree
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. squash — the sport
  13. bay — a horse colour
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. deal — a big deal
  17. perch — the fish
  18. branch — a division
  19. bay — a part of the sea
  20. mouse — for a computer
  21. bay — to keep at bay
  22. branch — of a bank
  23. deal — to handle
  24. deal — an agreement

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