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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.

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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: saw · firm · nail · degree · foot · branch · perch · chest

  1. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  2. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  3. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  4. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  5. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  6. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  7. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  8. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  9. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  10. The ________________ went through the wall.
  11. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  12. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  13. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  14. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  15. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  16. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  18. She's very handy with a ________________.
  19. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  20. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  23. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  24. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — from a university
  2. firm — a company
  3. foot — a measure
  4. branch — of a bank
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. nail — on a finger
  7. foot — the bottom
  8. firm — steady
  9. branch — a division
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. chest — of your body
  12. degree — an amount
  13. degree — temperature
  14. perch — the fish
  15. foot — part of the body
  16. firm — decided
  17. saw — the tool
  18. saw — the tool
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. branch — of a tree
  23. chest — a box
  24. chest — of your body

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