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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 · net · current · bulb · coach · club · pass · degree

  1. What do you think of the new ________________?
  2. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  3. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  6. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  7. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  10. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  13. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  16. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  17. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  21. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  24. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. net — for catching
  3. club — a group
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. net — in sport
  6. degree — from a university
  7. pass — to spend time
  8. current — happening now
  9. pass — to succeed
  10. net — after costs
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. degree — temperature
  13. pass — a permit
  14. current — electric
  15. club — for dancing
  16. club — for golf
  17. coach — pulled by horses
  18. bulb — for light
  19. bulb — for light
  20. current — of water
  21. cabinet — a cupboard
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. bulb — of a plant
  24. degree — an amount

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