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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.

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: band · stand · degree · racket · hide · branch · jam · hand

  1. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  2. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  3. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  4. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  5. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  6. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  7. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  8. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  9. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  10. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  11. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  12. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  13. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  16. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  17. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  18. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  19. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  20. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  21. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  22. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  24. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. branch — of a tree
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. jam — a tight spot
  6. racket — a loud noise
  7. branch — a division
  8. jam — in traffic
  9. branch — of a bank
  10. band — a ring
  11. jam — to spread on bread
  12. hand — help
  13. degree — from a university
  14. stand — to bear
  15. hide — animal skin
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. hand — in cards
  18. degree — an amount
  19. stand — on your feet
  20. band — a rubber band
  21. hand — part of the body
  22. band — a music group
  23. stand — for spectators
  24. degree — temperature

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