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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: degree · leaves · mouse · cold · board · racket · bulb · branch

  1. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  2. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  3. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  14. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  15. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  18. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  19. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  20. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  21. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  22. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  24. The water is too ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — to go away
  2. cold — an illness
  3. leaves — lets stay
  4. bulb — for light
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. bulb — for light
  7. cold — the Cold War
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. racket — a loud noise
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. branch — a division
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. leaves — of a tree
  14. degree — an amount
  15. mouse — for a computer
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. branch — of a tree
  18. degree — from a university
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. board — to get on
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. degree — temperature
  23. board — a committee
  24. cold — not warm

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