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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 120 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 got the top ________________ in the exam.
  2. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  9. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  10. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  11. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  15. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  16. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  17. I'll be taking the ________________.
  18. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  19. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  20. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  21. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  24. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a grade
  2. mark — to pay attention
  3. bulb — for light
  4. scale — in music
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. scale — size or range
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. band — a rubber band
  9. band — a ring
  10. bowl — a football final
  11. branch — a division
  12. mark — a trace
  13. bulb — for light
  14. tube — a container
  15. scale — for weighing
  16. net — for catching
  17. tube — the underground
  18. bowl — a dish
  19. bowl — to roll
  20. net — after costs
  21. branch — of a bank
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. net — in sport
  24. band — a music group

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