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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 120 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: degree · deal · rush · stick · key · mate · club · branch

  1. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  3. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  4. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  10. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  11. Have you found your soul ________________?
  12. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  16. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  21. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  22. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  23. This piece is in a major ________________.
  24. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. deal — an agreement
  3. deal — a big deal
  4. degree — from a university
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. rush — hurry
  8. key — for a lock
  9. degree — an amount
  10. mate — to breed
  11. mate — a partner
  12. degree — temperature
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. branch — of a bank
  16. deal — to handle
  17. branch — a division
  18. club — for dancing
  19. key — the most important part
  20. mate — a friend
  21. club — a group
  22. branch — of a tree
  23. key — in music
  24. club — for golf

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