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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: squash · march · racket · branch · degree · tube · stand · staff

  1. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  2. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  3. I can't ________________ this cold.
  4. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  5. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  6. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  7. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  8. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  9. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  10. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  11. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  12. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  13. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  14. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  15. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  16. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  17. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  18. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  19. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  20. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  21. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  22. I'll be taking the ________________.
  23. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  24. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. branch — a division
  3. stand — to bear
  4. staff — a stick
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. tube — a container
  7. staff — employees
  8. tube — in a tire
  9. degree — from a university
  10. march — music
  11. stand — on your feet
  12. squash — the vegetable
  13. degree — an amount
  14. branch — of a bank
  15. degree — temperature
  16. squash — to crush
  17. squash — the sport
  18. stand — for spectators
  19. march — the month
  20. staff — employees
  21. racket — a loud noise
  22. tube — the underground
  23. branch — of a tree
  24. racket — for tennis

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