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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 116 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: bank · pop · trunk · mug · net · bulb · coach · degree

  1. Where did you ________________ them?
  2. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  4. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  5. We're almost out of ________________.
  6. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  7. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  8. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  11. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  12. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  13. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. You don't need to ________________ round.
  18. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  21. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  22. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  23. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  24. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — to rob
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. net — for catching
  4. mug — a cup
  5. pop — soda
  6. trunk — of an elephant
  7. net — after costs
  8. net — in sport
  9. bulb — for light
  10. degree — temperature
  11. bank — of a river
  12. degree — from a university
  13. mug — a face
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. pop — to visit
  18. trunk — of a car
  19. bulb — for light
  20. bank — for money
  21. degree — an amount
  22. bank — for money
  23. trunk — of a tree
  24. pop — music

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