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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 · jam · wind · branch · bulb · court · cap · pitcher

  1. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  2. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  3. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  4. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  7. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  8. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  9. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  10. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. The ball is in your ________________.
  13. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  14. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  15. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  16. He is an ace ________________.
  17. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  18. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  19. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  20. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  21. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  24. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — in traffic
  2. wind — moving air
  3. wind — to turn a key
  4. branch — of a bank
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. degree — temperature
  7. degree — from a university
  8. cap — a lid
  9. branch — of a tree
  10. wind — moving air
  11. bulb — for light
  12. court — for sport
  13. cap — a hat
  14. jam — to spread on bread
  15. court — of law
  16. pitcher — in baseball
  17. degree — an amount
  18. cap — of ice
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. branch — a division
  22. bulb — for light
  23. jam — a tight spot
  24. court — of a king

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