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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: cabinet · last · bulb · present · degree · pitch · coach · prune

  1. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  2. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  3. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. Have you met the new head ________________?
  6. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  7. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  8. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  9. What do you think of the new ________________?
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  12. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  13. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  14. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  15. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  16. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  17. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. False peace will not ________________.
  21. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  24. At ________________, we arrived at the village.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — completely
  2. present — a gift
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. prune — to trim
  7. degree — temperature
  8. pitch — a sales talk
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. present — the time now
  12. pitch — a sports field
  13. present — there
  14. prune — the fruit
  15. prune — to trim
  16. degree — from a university
  17. last — final
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. bulb — for light
  20. last — to go on
  21. coach — pulled by horses
  22. bulb — for light
  23. degree — an amount
  24. last — finally

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