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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 120 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: deal · mate · branch · coach · bulb · chair · firm · row

  1. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  2. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  3. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  4. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  5. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  6. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  7. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  8. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  9. Have you found your soul ________________?
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  14. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  15. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  19. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  20. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  23. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  24. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. mate — a friend
  3. row — a line
  4. chair — a professorship
  5. deal — to handle
  6. chair — to sit on
  7. row — a quarrel
  8. firm — decided
  9. mate — a partner
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. firm — steady
  12. bulb — for light
  13. mate — to breed
  14. branch — of a tree
  15. deal — a big deal
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. branch — a division
  18. row — to paddle
  19. firm — a company
  20. chair — a leader
  21. bulb — for light
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. deal — an agreement
  24. branch — of a bank

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