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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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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: staff · mouse · branch · degree · rash · land · present · club

  1. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  2. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  3. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  4. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  5. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  6. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  7. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  8. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  9. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  10. When are we going to ________________?
  11. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  12. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  13. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  16. Don't do anything ________________.
  17. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  18. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  19. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  20. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  21. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  22. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  23. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  24. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — from a university
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. mouse — for a computer
  4. degree — an amount
  5. present — there
  6. present — the time now
  7. rash — a series
  8. club — for golf
  9. land — ground
  10. land — to come down
  11. land — a country
  12. staff — a stick
  13. degree — temperature
  14. branch — a division
  15. rash — on the skin
  16. rash — hasty
  17. branch — of a bank
  18. club — a group
  19. club — for dancing
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. staff — employees
  22. present — a gift
  23. branch — of a tree
  24. staff — employees

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