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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: kid · jam · mug · degree · branch · bowl · suit · hand

  1. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  2. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  3. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  4. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  5. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  6. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  7. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  8. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  9. Where did you ________________ them?
  10. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  11. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  12. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  13. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  14. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  15. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  16. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  17. When will it ________________ you to start?
  18. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  19. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  20. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  21. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  22. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  23. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  24. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — temperature
  2. hand — help
  3. jam — a tight spot
  4. branch — of a bank
  5. bowl — a dish
  6. mug — a face
  7. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  8. bowl — to roll
  9. mug — to rob
  10. hand — part of the body
  11. degree — an amount
  12. jam — in traffic
  13. suit — in cards
  14. kid — to tease
  15. kid — child
  16. branch — a division
  17. suit — to fit
  18. branch — of a tree
  19. bowl — a football final
  20. mug — a cup
  21. jam — to spread on bread
  22. degree — from a university
  23. hand — in cards
  24. suit — clothes

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