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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: branch · rash · stock · pit · degree · squash · march · can

  1. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  2. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  3. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  4. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  5. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  6. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  7. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  8. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  9. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  10. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  11. The ________________ market has crashed.
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  16. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  17. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  18. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  21. Don't do anything ________________.
  22. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  23. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  24. I'd like to play a game of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — a division
  2. branch — of a tree
  3. squash — the vegetable
  4. rash — a series
  5. squash — to crush
  6. degree — from a university
  7. pit — in a race
  8. stock — a soup base
  9. march — the month
  10. march — music
  11. stock — shares
  12. can — a tin
  13. degree — an amount
  14. can — to be able to
  15. pit — a hole
  16. branch — of a bank
  17. stock — goods
  18. pit — a fruit stone
  19. can — a tin
  20. degree — temperature
  21. rash — hasty
  22. march — the month
  23. rash — on the skin
  24. squash — the sport

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