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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  9. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  10. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  11. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  12. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  16. Have you settled on a ________________?
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  23. The light ________________ burned out.
  24. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. mark — a trace
  4. prune — to trim
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. bank — for money
  9. prune — the fruit
  10. prune — to trim
  11. content — happy
  12. bank — of a river
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. bulb — for light
  15. content — videos and posts
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. branch — a division
  18. content — the amount
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. branch — of a tree
  21. mark — a grade
  22. bank — for money
  23. bulb — for light
  24. date — the fruit

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