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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: mouse · branch · snap · degree · jam · ruler · date · bound

  1. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  2. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  3. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  4. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  5. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  8. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  9. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  10. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  11. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  14. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  15. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  18. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  19. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  20. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  21. Have you settled on a ________________?
  22. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  23. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  24. We are ________________ to obey laws.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — for a computer
  2. jam — to spread on bread
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. degree — temperature
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. date — the fruit
  8. bound — tied together
  9. branch — of a bank
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. jam — a tight spot
  12. branch — a division
  13. jam — in traffic
  14. snap — to click
  15. snap — to speak sharply
  16. bound — certain
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. ruler — a monarch
  19. branch — of a tree
  20. snap — to snap out of it
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. degree — from a university
  23. degree — an amount
  24. bound — obliged

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