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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: rock · mark · degree · suit · branch · club · bat · squash

  1. When will it ________________ you to start?
  2. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  5. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  6. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  7. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  8. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  9. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  10. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  11. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  12. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  13. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  14. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  17. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  18. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  19. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  24. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — to fit
  2. rock — to move gently
  3. rock — music
  4. club — a group
  5. club — for golf
  6. squash — the vegetable
  7. bat — for baseball
  8. suit — clothes
  9. branch — a division
  10. degree — an amount
  11. degree — temperature
  12. suit — in cards
  13. bat — the animal
  14. bat — in an idiom
  15. mark — a grade
  16. squash — the sport
  17. branch — of a tree
  18. degree — from a university
  19. branch — of a bank
  20. mark — a trace
  21. squash — to crush
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. rock — a stone
  24. club — for dancing

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