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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: bound · mouse · game · degree · mark · branch · trunk · squash

  1. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  2. That was ________________ to happen.
  3. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  4. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  5. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  9. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  10. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  11. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  12. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  13. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  14. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  15. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  16. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  17. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  18. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  19. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  20. That was a fun ________________.
  21. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  22. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  23. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  24. The elephant has a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — temperature
  2. bound — certain
  3. squash — the vegetable
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. degree — from a university
  9. bound — tied together
  10. trunk — of a tree
  11. branch — of a tree
  12. squash — to crush
  13. bound — obliged
  14. squash — the sport
  15. branch — of a bank
  16. game — wild animals
  17. mark — a trace
  18. mark — a grade
  19. branch — a division
  20. game — a match
  21. trunk — of a car
  22. degree — an amount
  23. game — a kind of play
  24. trunk — of an elephant

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