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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: stock · chip · bank · bulb · degree · branch · spell · bore

  1. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  2. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  6. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  7. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  8. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  9. How do you ________________ your surname?
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  12. The ________________ market has crashed.
  13. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  14. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  15. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  16. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  17. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  18. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  19. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  20. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  21. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  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. chip — in a computer
  2. bank — for money
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. branch — a division
  5. degree — temperature
  6. branch — of a bank
  7. bank — of a river
  8. branch — of a tree
  9. spell — letters
  10. bulb — for light
  11. bore — to drill
  12. stock — shares
  13. degree — an amount
  14. stock — a soup base
  15. bore — to tire
  16. bank — for money
  17. stock — goods
  18. spell — a short time
  19. spell — magic
  20. chip — to eat
  21. degree — from a university
  22. bulb — for light
  23. chip — for betting
  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