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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: cabinet · file · pitcher · rest · branch · degree · nail · dip

  1. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  4. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  5. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  6. He is an ace ________________.
  7. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  8. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  9. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  12. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  13. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  14. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  15. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  16. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  17. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  19. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  20. The ________________ went through the wall.
  21. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  22. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  23. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  24. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a tree
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. branch — a division
  4. rest — what's left
  5. dip — to sink
  6. pitcher — in baseball
  7. rest — a break
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. rest — what's left
  12. file — a line of people
  13. dip — a sauce
  14. degree — from a university
  15. degree — an amount
  16. file — a document
  17. dip — to dunk
  18. nail — on a finger
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. file — a tool
  22. cabinet — a cupboard
  23. degree — temperature
  24. nail — for a hammer

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