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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: craft · wax · mouse · squash · degree · root · chip · branch

  1. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  2. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  3. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  4. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  5. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  8. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  9. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  10. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  11. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  12. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  13. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  14. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  17. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  18. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  19. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  20. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  21. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  22. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  23. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  24. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. squash — the sport
  3. wax — to grow
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. craft — boats
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. degree — an amount
  8. degree — temperature
  9. squash — to crush
  10. chip — for betting
  11. branch — of a bank
  12. craft — a skill
  13. root — the cause
  14. craft — a handicraft
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. mouse — for a computer
  17. root — of a word
  18. wax — for sculpting
  19. squash — the vegetable
  20. branch — a division
  21. wax — in the ear
  22. root — of a plant
  23. degree — from a university
  24. chip — to eat

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