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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: row · firm · bulb · saw · root · content · degree · branch

  1. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  2. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  3. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  6. She's very handy with a ________________.
  7. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  8. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  9. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  10. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  11. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  12. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  19. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  20. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  21. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  22. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  23. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  24. Check the label for the sugar ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — a company
  2. content — videos and posts
  3. branch — of a bank
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. degree — temperature
  6. saw — the tool
  7. root — the cause
  8. row — to paddle
  9. row — a line
  10. branch — of a tree
  11. content — happy
  12. degree — an amount
  13. bulb — for light
  14. saw — the tool
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. row — a quarrel
  17. bulb — for light
  18. root — of a plant
  19. firm — decided
  20. branch — a division
  21. root — of a word
  22. firm — steady
  23. degree — from a university
  24. content — the 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