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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
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: degree · mouse · bay · march · root · branch · can · fine

  1. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  2. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  3. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  6. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  7. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  8. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  9. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  12. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  13. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  14. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  15. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  16. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  17. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  18. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  19. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  20. My mare is ________________ in color.
  21. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  22. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  24. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. mouse — for a computer
  3. root — of a word
  4. can — a tin
  5. bay — to keep at bay
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. branch — a division
  8. fine — a penalty
  9. degree — an amount
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. branch — of a tree
  12. root — the cause
  13. bay — a part of the sea
  14. fine — all right
  15. degree — temperature
  16. march — the month
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. march — music
  19. fine — high quality
  20. bay — a horse colour
  21. march — the month
  22. root — of a plant
  23. can — to be able to
  24. degree — from a university

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