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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: bay · squash · cabinet · degree · branch · pit · stick · roll

  1. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  2. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  4. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  5. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  6. We're on a ________________ here.
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  10. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  11. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  12. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  13. My mare is ________________ in color.
  14. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  15. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  16. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  17. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  18. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  19. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  20. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  21. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  22. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  24. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the sport
  2. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. bay — to keep at bay
  4. squash — to crush
  5. branch — a division
  6. roll — on a roll
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. pit — a fruit stone
  10. degree — temperature
  11. pit — a hole
  12. roll — a cake
  13. bay — a horse colour
  14. squash — the vegetable
  15. degree — from a university
  16. pit — in a race
  17. degree — an amount
  18. roll — a list
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. branch — of a bank
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. branch — of a tree
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. bay — a part of the sea

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