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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 · bulb · prune · season · pass · branch · rest · date

  1. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  2. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  3. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. Have you settled on a ________________?
  6. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  7. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  8. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  9. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  12. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  13. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  14. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  17. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  18. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  19. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  20. Did you ________________ the meat?
  21. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  22. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  24. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?

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

Answer key

  1. degree — temperature
  2. prune — to trim
  3. pass — to spend time
  4. bulb — for light
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. rest — what's left
  7. degree — from a university
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. rest — a break
  10. bulb — for light
  11. rest — what's left
  12. branch — of a bank
  13. season — in sport
  14. season — of the year
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. pass — a permit
  17. date — the fruit
  18. branch — a division
  19. prune — to trim
  20. season — to add flavour
  21. prune — the fruit
  22. pass — to succeed
  23. bulb — of a plant
  24. degree — an 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