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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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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: rush · cabinet · lie · branch · deal · pass · degree · stock

  1. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  2. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  3. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  4. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  9. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  10. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  13. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. The ________________ market has crashed.
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  19. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  20. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  21. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  22. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  23. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  24. What do you think of the new ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. degree — an amount
  2. pass — a permit
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. deal — an agreement
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. pass — to spend time
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. stock — goods
  9. branch — a division
  10. deal — to handle
  11. rush — hurry
  12. branch — of a tree
  13. degree — from a university
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. stock — shares
  16. lie — to recline
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. deal — a big deal
  19. pass — to succeed
  20. cabinet — a cupboard
  21. stock — a soup base
  22. degree — temperature
  23. branch — of a bank
  24. cabinet — ministers

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