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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: cabinet · row · pitcher · net · branch · degree · saw · temple

  1. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  2. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  3. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  4. When was this ________________ built?
  5. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  10. He is an ace ________________.
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  13. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  16. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  17. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  18. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  19. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  20. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  21. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  22. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  23. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  24. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — temperature
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. branch — a division
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. temple — side of the head
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. row — a line
  8. saw — the tool
  9. net — in sport
  10. pitcher — in baseball
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. row — to paddle
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. saw — the tool
  15. degree — from a university
  16. branch — of a bank
  17. branch — of a tree
  18. row — a quarrel
  19. saw — past of 'see'
  20. degree — an amount
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. net — for catching
  23. net — after costs
  24. cabinet — a cupboard

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