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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. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  4. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  9. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  12. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  13. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  14. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  20. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  21. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. That was ________________ to happen.
  24. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a rubber band
  2. bulb — for light
  3. bound — tied together
  4. prune — to trim
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. bear — to put up with
  9. band — a music group
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. bear — the animal
  12. bound — obliged
  13. prune — the fruit
  14. bear — the animal
  15. bulb — for light
  16. band — a ring
  17. branch — a division
  18. can — a tin
  19. can — to be able to
  20. prune — to trim
  21. chip — to eat
  22. can — a tin
  23. bound — certain
  24. chip — for betting

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