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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. I've got to change the light ________________.
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  6. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  10. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  11. I can't ________________ this cold.
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  14. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  15. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  16. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  17. That was ________________ to happen.
  18. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  19. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  20. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  21. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  22. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  23. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  24. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. bear — the animal
  4. bulb — for light
  5. stand — on your feet
  6. march — music
  7. bear — the animal
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. object — an aim
  10. march — the month
  11. stand — to bear
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. branch — of a tree
  14. present — there
  15. present — a gift
  16. bound — tied together
  17. bound — certain
  18. branch — a division
  19. march — the month
  20. bound — obliged
  21. bear — to put up with
  22. object — a thing
  23. present — the time now
  24. object — to protest

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