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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: bulb · branch · cabinet · degree · hide · season · field · can

  1. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  2. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  8. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  9. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  10. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  11. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  12. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  13. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  16. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  17. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  22. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  23. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  24. Did you ________________ the meat?

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. can — a tin
  5. field — farmland
  6. bulb — for light
  7. season — of the year
  8. degree — temperature
  9. branch — a division
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. degree — from a university
  12. cabinet — a cupboard
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. bulb — for light
  15. field — for sport
  16. branch — of a tree
  17. field — a subject
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. season — in sport
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. can — to be able to
  22. degree — an amount
  23. branch — of a bank
  24. season — to add flavour

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