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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: rash · bay · content · branch · bulb · row · jam · degree

  1. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  2. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  5. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  6. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  7. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  8. My mare is ________________ in color.
  9. Don't do anything ________________.
  10. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  11. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  12. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  13. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  16. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  17. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  18. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  19. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  20. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  23. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  24. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a tree
  2. content — the amount
  3. bulb — for light
  4. content — videos and posts
  5. jam — to spread on bread
  6. content — happy
  7. jam — in traffic
  8. bay — a horse colour
  9. rash — hasty
  10. rash — on the skin
  11. branch — of a bank
  12. row — a line
  13. row — a quarrel
  14. bulb — for light
  15. degree — temperature
  16. bay — to keep at bay
  17. bay — a part of the sea
  18. jam — a tight spot
  19. degree — an amount
  20. branch — a division
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. row — to paddle
  23. rash — a series
  24. degree — from a university

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