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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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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: rock · bore · pitcher · pitch · bulb · stem · branch · degree

  1. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  6. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  7. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  8. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  9. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  10. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  11. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  12. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  13. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  14. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  15. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  16. He is an ace ________________.
  17. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  18. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  19. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  20. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  24. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — music
  2. bulb — for light
  3. degree — from a university
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. degree — temperature
  6. stem — of a plant
  7. stem — a stem cell
  8. degree — an amount
  9. branch — a division
  10. stem — to come from
  11. pitch — completely
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. bore — to tire
  14. pitch — a sales talk
  15. branch — of a bank
  16. pitcher — in baseball
  17. pitch — a sports field
  18. rock — to move gently
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. rock — a stone
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. bulb — for light
  23. bore — to drill
  24. bore — gave birth

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