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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. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  2. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  3. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. David sat on the ________________.
  6. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  7. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  8. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  9. Have you found your soul ________________?
  10. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  11. We're on a ________________ here.
  12. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  13. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  14. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  15. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  18. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  19. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  20. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  21. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  22. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  23. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  24. I've got to change the light ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a bank
  2. craft — a skill
  3. roll — a list
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. swing — to play on
  6. swing — music
  7. swing — in golf
  8. mate — a friend
  9. mate — a partner
  10. lean — to rest against
  11. roll — on a roll
  12. pitch — a sports field
  13. craft — boats
  14. lean — thin
  15. pitch — completely
  16. bulb — for light
  17. craft — a handicraft
  18. lean — to bend
  19. mate — to breed
  20. branch — of a tree
  21. roll — a cake
  22. branch — a division
  23. pitch — a sales talk
  24. bulb — for light

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