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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: mug · pop · pit · rush · degree · branch · rest · perch

  1. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  2. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  3. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  4. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  5. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  6. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  7. Where did you ________________ them?
  8. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  9. You don't need to ________________ round.
  10. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  11. We're almost out of ________________.
  12. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  13. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  14. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  15. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  16. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  17. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  23. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  24. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — from a university
  2. degree — temperature
  3. mug — a face
  4. pop — music
  5. branch — of a tree
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. mug — to rob
  8. degree — an amount
  9. pop — to visit
  10. pit — a hole
  11. pop — soda
  12. perch — the fish
  13. branch — of a bank
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. pit — in a race
  16. mug — a cup
  17. rest — what's left
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. branch — a division
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. rush — hurry
  22. rest — a break
  23. pit — a fruit stone
  24. rest — what's left

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