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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 120 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: branch · prune · cabinet · wave · coach · stock · staff · degree

  1. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  2. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  3. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  4. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  5. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  6. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. The ________________ market has crashed.
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  12. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  13. Have you met the new head ________________?
  14. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  15. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  16. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  17. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  18. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  19. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  20. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  21. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  22. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  23. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  24. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — temperature
  2. staff — employees
  3. cabinet — a cupboard
  4. branch — of a bank
  5. wave — of the sea
  6. stock — goods
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. stock — shares
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. prune — to trim
  12. prune — to trim
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. stock — a soup base
  15. wave — with your hand
  16. staff — a stick
  17. prune — the fruit
  18. staff — employees
  19. branch — a division
  20. branch — of a tree
  21. degree — from a university
  22. degree — an amount
  23. coach — pulled by horses
  24. wave — a sudden rise

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