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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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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: perch · charge · degree · deal · foot · branch · cue · mark

  1. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  2. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  3. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  4. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  7. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  8. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  11. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  12. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  13. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  20. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  21. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  22. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  23. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  24. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — the bottom
  2. deal — an agreement
  3. degree — temperature
  4. perch — the fish
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. foot — a measure
  8. cue — a hint
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. degree — from a university
  11. deal — a big deal
  12. degree — an amount
  13. deal — to handle
  14. charge — a price
  15. mark — a trace
  16. foot — part of the body
  17. mark — a grade
  18. charge — in control
  19. cue — for pool
  20. branch — a division
  21. cue — a signal
  22. charge — electricity
  23. branch — of a tree
  24. perch — for a bird

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