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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. That was a fun ________________.
  2. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  3. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  4. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  5. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  6. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  7. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. The light ________________ burned out.
  12. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  13. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  14. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  15. Have you found your soul ________________?
  16. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  17. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  18. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  19. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  20. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  21. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  22. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  23. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  24. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a match
  2. branch — a division
  3. firm — steady
  4. band — a rubber band
  5. prune — to trim
  6. prune — to trim
  7. cue — for pool
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. band — a music group
  10. bulb — for light
  11. bulb — for light
  12. game — wild animals
  13. branch — of a bank
  14. mate — to breed
  15. mate — a partner
  16. firm — decided
  17. band — a ring
  18. branch — of a tree
  19. cue — a hint
  20. mate — a friend
  21. prune — the fruit
  22. game — a kind of play
  23. cue — a signal
  24. firm — a company

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