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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 120 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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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: branch · firm · club · land · degree · cabinet · kick · bound

  1. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  2. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  3. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  4. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  5. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  6. That was ________________ to happen.
  7. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  8. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  9. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  10. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  11. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  12. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  13. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  14. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  15. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  16. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. When are we going to ________________?
  19. What do you think of the new ________________?
  20. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  21. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  22. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  23. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  24. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. firm — steady
  3. kick — with a leg
  4. land — a country
  5. degree — temperature
  6. bound — certain
  7. branch — of a bank
  8. bound — tied together
  9. degree — from a university
  10. club — a group
  11. club — for dancing
  12. kick — a thrill
  13. kick — in football
  14. bound — obliged
  15. degree — an amount
  16. firm — a company
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. land — to come down
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. branch — of a tree
  21. branch — a division
  22. firm — decided
  23. club — for golf
  24. land — ground

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