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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: branch · bulb · degree · spell · coach · cabinet · row · board

  1. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  2. Have you met the new head ________________?
  3. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  4. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  5. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. How do you ________________ your surname?
  8. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  12. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  18. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  19. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  24. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a flat piece
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. degree — temperature
  4. spell — magic
  5. degree — from a university
  6. bulb — for light
  7. spell — letters
  8. row — a line
  9. board — a committee
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. spell — a short time
  12. branch — of a tree
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. bulb — for light
  15. branch — a division
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. branch — of a bank
  18. row — to paddle
  19. board — to get on
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. degree — an amount
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. row — a quarrel
  24. cabinet — ministers

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