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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  2. Have you met the new head ________________?
  3. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  8. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  9. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  10. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  11. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  12. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  13. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  14. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  15. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  18. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  19. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  20. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  21. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  22. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  23. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  24. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — for weighing
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. degree — from a university
  4. bulb — for light
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. staff — employees
  8. fork — to eat with
  9. scale — size or range
  10. scale — in music
  11. branch — of a bank
  12. fork — in a road
  13. coach — pulled by horses
  14. degree — temperature
  15. staff — employees
  16. bulb — for light
  17. degree — an amount
  18. deal — an agreement
  19. staff — a stick
  20. deal — a big deal
  21. branch — a division
  22. fork — a garden tool
  23. branch — of a tree
  24. deal — to handle

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