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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: net · branch · roll · mouse · rush · mark · stick · degree

  1. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  2. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  3. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  4. We're on a ________________ here.
  5. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  12. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  13. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  14. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  17. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  21. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  22. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  23. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  24. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a grade
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. net — after costs
  4. roll — on a roll
  5. branch — a division
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. branch — of a bank
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. degree — temperature
  12. net — in sport
  13. net — for catching
  14. roll — a cake
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. branch — of a tree
  17. degree — from a university
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. rush — hurry
  20. roll — a list
  21. degree — an amount
  22. mouse — for a computer
  23. mark — a trace
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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