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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 116 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. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  3. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  4. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  5. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  6. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  7. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  10. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  13. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  14. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  15. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  16. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  19. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  20. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  21. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  22. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  24. He had ________________ pain while walking.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a rubber band
  2. club — for golf
  3. band — a ring
  4. stem — of a plant
  5. perch — the fish
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. bulb — for light
  9. club — a group
  10. bank — for money
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. branch — of a bank
  13. stem — to come from
  14. branch — of a tree
  15. bank — for money
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. bulb — for light
  18. band — a music group
  19. branch — a division
  20. club — for dancing
  21. stem — a stem cell
  22. bank — of a river
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. calf — of the leg

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