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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: degree · bound · row · coach · club · rash · dip · branch

  1. Have you met the new head ________________?
  2. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. Don't do anything ________________.
  5. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  6. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  7. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  8. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  9. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  10. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  13. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  14. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  17. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  18. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  19. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  20. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  21. That was ________________ to happen.
  22. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  23. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  24. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. branch — a division
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. rash — hasty
  5. club — a group
  6. degree — temperature
  7. row — a line
  8. bound — tied together
  9. degree — from a university
  10. bound — obliged
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. rash — on the skin
  13. rash — a series
  14. row — to paddle
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. row — a quarrel
  17. dip — to sink
  18. degree — an amount
  19. branch — of a bank
  20. club — for golf
  21. bound — certain
  22. dip — to dunk
  23. club — for dancing
  24. dip — a sauce

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