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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: degree · present · bulb · current · fine · branch · toast · squash

  1. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  3. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  8. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  9. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  10. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  11. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  12. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  13. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  14. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  15. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  19. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  22. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  23. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  24. Let us try to swim against the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — high quality
  2. current — happening now
  3. fine — all right
  4. bulb — for light
  5. squash — to crush
  6. branch — a division
  7. branch — of a bank
  8. degree — temperature
  9. degree — an amount
  10. present — there
  11. squash — the sport
  12. squash — the vegetable
  13. degree — from a university
  14. branch — of a tree
  15. present — a gift
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. bulb — for light
  18. present — the time now
  19. toast — a drink to someone
  20. current — electric
  21. fine — a penalty
  22. toast — the most admired
  23. toast — bread
  24. current — of water

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