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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. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  6. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  7. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  8. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  9. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  10. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. The King held a masked ________________.
  13. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  14. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  17. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  18. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  19. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  20. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  21. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  22. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  23. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  24. The ________________ market has crashed.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — gave birth
  2. bulb — for light
  3. branch — a division
  4. bulb — for light
  5. bore — to tire
  6. row — a line
  7. band — a music group
  8. band — a ring
  9. band — a rubber band
  10. row — to paddle
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. ball — a dance
  13. branch — of a bank
  14. leaves — to go away
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. stock — goods
  17. branch — of a tree
  18. bore — to drill
  19. ball — a round shape
  20. leaves — of a tree
  21. row — a quarrel
  22. leaves — lets stay
  23. ball — a great time
  24. stock — shares

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